


Just Your Ordinary

by CurrantlyDoingThat



Series: Started on Wattpad [1]
Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Gay Male Character, M/M, POV Male Character, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 22:35:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 31,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29497389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CurrantlyDoingThat/pseuds/CurrantlyDoingThat
Summary: You hate them. They should just do the world a favor and go die. The only reason you're here is to protect your friend from them. Now you're stuck doing a project with one of them. Why does life hate you?!?
Series: Started on Wattpad [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166696
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6





	1. An ordinary

**Author's Note:**

> posting this here just in case it gets deleted on Wattpad

You stretch as you get off of the couch. Time to go to school. You drag yourself into your bedroom and pull on your uniform. Thankfully Ryoutei Academy's dress code is pretty lax as long as you're wearing the actual uniform. You put on your special scarf and walk down the stairs. Your dad is waiting for you.

"Forgetting something?" he asks. You struggle to think of what you could be forgetting.

"... I love you?" you say.

"That's nice, but you're forgetting your glasses." he teases. He pushes them onto your face. "Have a good night, kiddo."

"You too Dad." You start up your bike and pull on your helmet. You zip up your jacket and zip down the streets on your motorcycle. It's so freeing. You're disappointed when you get to school. You walk around the gathering crowd and slip into the school.

"Same old stuff, huh, (Y/n)-kun." a voice says from next to you. Hayami Shin. His dad knows your mom through work. He's your best friend in this place. He's the reason you don't drop out and go to regular school. That and your circadian rhythm. You can't leave him to face this alone.

"Yeah, fawning over a bunch of spoiled vamps." you bite out. Shin's almost yellow-brown eyes widen as he scans the area. He breathes a sigh of relief. He punched your arm.

"You can't just say that here. They go to school here too. What if they heard?" he asks nervously.

"Heard what?" You know that voice. It's Ayato.

"How much of a crush (Y/n)-kun has on you!" Shin says and then books it. _I'm so going to kill Shin!_

"I could not be more repulsed by you. Get that idea out of your head." you say and walk towards your homeroom. Unfortunately, you share that class with Reiji. All of the girls claimed the seats around Reiji, forcing you to take a seat far away from the windows. You hate vampires with all of your being.

"... And remember, you have a group project coming up that'll be 40% of your final grade." your teacher drones on and on. School's out. You finally get home, collapse onto your bed and sleep.

Rinse and repeat. Nothing outstanding happens. It's just school. Then, you get assigned a partner for your group project.  
It's  
fucking  
Sakamaki  
Reiji  
 _Kill me now._ You jump out of your seat and slam down on the desk. "Fuck that bastard! Can't I work with someone else? Anyone else?" you plead.

"Sit back down! These are the partners you have to work with. Non-negotiable." your teacher replies. You die in that very seat. "Moving along, you will have to work with your partner to create a research paper on a supernatural creature or occurrence. You must provide the history and origins of it in at least 16,000 words. The due date will be determined by how hard I see you working. If you decide to slack off, it's due next week. I'm giving you the rest of class to decide your topic. No topics should be repeated. I'm not reading two papers on the same thing. You come to me with your topic and I'll tell you if you can do it or not."

Everyone shuffles over to their partners. You stare at your partner, but he makes no move to come over to you. You sigh. _Spoiled vamp_. And drag a chair over. "What topic d'you wanna do?"

"You don't have to force yourself. You made your feelings plain. I will work on the paper alone." it says. _Oh no. Oh no no no no no no no no no. He doesn't get to do this. Put on a holier than thou facade so he can bitch about what a shit partner I am._

"It's a group project. I'm helping. Let's just decide on a topic before your presence makes me vomit." you state.

"I assure you, your help is unnecessary."

"And, _I assure you,_ I'm gonna help."

"Why are you so adamant on doing something you previously stated you didn't want to do?"

"Why are you so against me helping?"

"I won't waste anymore breath on _you._ " The way he says you makes you want to punch him. You push back your chair and approach your teacher.

"You both have to work on the paper or it's an automatic zero." your teacher says not looking up from the laptop on the desk. Another student approaches.

"Can we do yōkai?" she asks.

"Yeah." your teacher replies. "Yōkai was taken."your teacher announces to the class. Your teacher types away and you go back to _him_.

"We have to work together." you tell it.

"Why must you persist-! Fine. We're doing Wendigo then." it says.

"What if I want to do Shinigami? They're easier to get information on." you reply.

"It's a _group project,_ as you said before, we both must be satisfied with the topic." it says. It's mocking you.

"How about I satisfy your face with my fist?!?" you shout at him. You get up out of your set and pull your arm back.

"Sakamaki, (L/n), your topic is vampires." your teacher says. _No! My topic can't be vampires. He'll know I know what he is._ It seems to be having a similar thought process.

"I thought we could choose our topic." you plead.

"And I thought I would have a quiet class. We were both wrong." your teacher replies.

_Why couldn't today be an ordinary day?!?_


	2. Day

There's no reason for you and it to sit together anymore, so you move your seat as far as humanly possible from him. _I should probably have some way of contacting him for the project. I_ ** _really_** _don't want to go over there though._ You groan and turn around. He's starting at you. You turn back around and hope he didn't see you. Of course, he did. He's staring at you. _Fucking creep._

When class ends, you can't get out of there fast enough. You're one of the first ones out. You glance back and see _him_ moving slowly. _Thank God. I don't know what I'd do if I had to see him after class._ You hurry to meet up with Shin-kun. _He'll never believe what happened._

You notice the hallway is strangely empty right before you get slammed against the wall. There's a hand by your head and a leg between yours. It's Ayato again. _Why can't he leave me alone?_ "No one rejects Ore-sama!" he says. _That's what this is about? Vampires have reached a new level of pathetic._ "Get over it." you say knocking his hand away. He leans into your neck and sniffs.

"Bleh. Why do you smell so bitter?" he gags. _Oh my fucking God. Get away from me._ You lean away from him. He puts his hands on both sides of your head. "Doesn't matter. I won't be tasting _that_." He leans in and you knee him in the nuts. He pulls away to hold it in pain and you briskly walk away.

You finally reach Shin. "You have no idea how long I've been looking for you. Ayato was a creep again. If I didn't take the pills-" you say. Shin gives you a signal. You stop talking and it approaches.

"Well, would you look at the time, it's time for me to book it!" Shin says. You grab him before he can run away.

"We'll suffer together." you say. It approaches.

"You're coming with me." it demands.

"Hey! He doesn't put out until the fifth date!" Shin exclaims. The both of you glare at him. "I can see I'm not wanted." Then, he dashes away.

You look back at it and say, "No, I'm not."

"We're wasting time." it replies and starts to drag you. He drags you about a meter before you wrench your arm out of his grasp.

"Hey! Ever heard of consent fuckwad." you shout. You rub your arm and walk away.

"You **are** coming with me."

"No, I'm going home and you should, too." You sigh. "If you really want to get started, get some sources and I'll go to your house tomorrow."

"Since you insist on being unreasonable. I will accept this."

"Wha-?!? No! I'm not the unreasonable one for not wanting to go to a complete stranger's house." He scoffs at you and walks away. You ride home and collapse into your bed.

You blink the sleep from your eyes. You dreamt of ninjas and robot turtles. _Weird dream._ You stretch and walk into the bathroom. You do bathroom stuff and walk down into the kitchen. Your dad is flipping pancakes by the stove. He's fallen in love with American breakfasts. He says good morning and you say it back. "Oh yeah, I have to take twice the amount of D pills. I got assigned as a partner to a Sakamaki and I'm supposed to go to his house tomorrow." you say.

"You're supposed to be cutting back on the pills." your dad replies. "But okay."

"Thanks! I promise to take a few days off from school before I go back on the pill."

"What's this project about anyway?"

"16,000 words on the history of vampires." He starts choking on his tea.

"Are you serious?!? It's bad enough that you have to work with one of them. You'll get caught and then you'll die!"

You grab him by the shoulders. "I'll be fine. I just need to take my pills and do what I've always done. Not draw suspicion."

"Alright. It's just, I don't want to lose you!"

"I know. Just trust me okay. Nothing's gonna happen."

"I will."

A week later, Komori Yui is sleeping in the guest room.

"Nothing's gonna happen, huh." he says unimpressed.

"That was a week ago! How do you still remember that?"


	3. Should've been

You're at school now. You pat your pocket to make sure your pills are in there and head inside. Once you're in class, you pull out your list of resources you plan to use. It walks in and sits as far as possible from you. _Bitch._ You get up and plop down next to it. There's a stack of papers as tall as you.

"Where are your sources?" it asks. You wave your paper. "That's it. I should've expected as much from-"

"Calm your tits, this is a list of article names. Front and back." you interrupt. He blinks in shock. "It's smarter than bringing all this shit in."

"How is one supposed to access these sources?"

"Through the internet or known to you as the interwebs." He turns away from you and starts writing. "What are you doing?"

"Writing the paper."

"Have you heard of google docs?"

"Of course, I-"

"Then, you would know that that is best way to work on a group project."

"This is a perfectly fine way-."

"But it isn't the best way." _When did I become the reasonable one?_ You sigh. "My email is (email name). Make a doc and share it with me." He pulls out a flip phone. _Oh my god._ "Get a touchscreen or else you can't do it by phone." It calls someone and orders a touchscreen phone. It's the brand you hate. Someone actually shows up and delivers it. As it tries to figure it out, girls swarm it. You walk out of the classroom and inhale sharply. The smell of iron wafts past your nose. You pull your glasses off and follow the smell. It leads you to an empty hallway. An almost empty hallway.

Ayato is sucking some poor girl's blood. You silently run back down the hallway and stomp when you re-approach. By then, he has pulled away from her. He walks away and lets her drop to the floor. "I knew-." he says before vomiting. It's red with flecks of yellow and green. It smells strongly of iron. He wipes his chin and rushes in the direction of the bathroom. _If that's what a double dosage does, why don't more people use it?_ A soft whimper pulls you out of your thoughts.

You pull one of the pills out of your pocket and put it in the blonde's mouth. It encourages red blood cell production in addition to repelling vampires. You make sure she swallows the pill before lifting her up bridal style and put your glasses back on. You take her to the infirmary. Then, you go to the bathroom like you wanted to when you left the classroom. On the other side of school. _Just great._ You don't even bother going back. You wander the school and stay away from your classroom. Before you know it, the bell for dismissal rings. You grab your bike and meet it at the front gate. The entire Sakamaki group is waiting with the girl you took to the infirmary. She's looking better.

"Where did you disappear to?" it asks.

"So you noticed?" you reply.

"Answer the question."

"Since you _have_ to know my every move... Wait, you don't."

"Why do you insist on being so difficult?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm here now."

"Ore-sama needs to know why you smelt so bad earlier!" Ayato shouts. _That must've been the height of the pill's cycle._ You ignore him and talk to it.

"This is wasting time. We sicken each other with our presence, so let's just get this over with." you say.

"Oi, I asked you something!" Ayato says.

"Those terms are _agreeable_." it says like you asked it to drink poison. You're lifted up and slammed against the limo. You force yourself not to react.

"Get **the fuck** off of me." you snarl. He sniffs your neck and you force yourself not to slam his head into concrete.

"You don't smell as bad as earlier." Ayato says and you try to remember when you hit the height of the cycle. _Shit! That was three hours ago. I have less than an hour before it wears off._ "Maybe even a little sweet." You feel a puff of hot breath against your neck.

"I'm not into whatever kinky BDSM shit you got going on." you say and knee him in the balls. He falls over again. "Where do I put my bike?"

"Amane-san will take it for you." it says. The butler that wasn't there before gently pulls the bike from your hands and puts it in the trunk. He's gone before you can say anything. He pulls open the door and says, "Get in."

"You don't tell me what to do!" you hiss at him. Then, you get in. _It's bigger on the inside._ You sit down one seat away from the window. The blonde sits down by the window and Ayato sits on the other side of you.

"It seems like you can't help but fall into Ore-sama's arms." he says.

"I would never love someone like you!" you spit out, tired of his flirting. He grabs you by your wrists and forces your hands above your head. He uses his free hand to reach towards the buttons on your shirt.

"He isn't shaking like the other human. Why isn't he shaking Teddy?" the sleep deprived shota asks. You knee him again and give him a taste of your right hook.

"Ore-sama will take your firsts." Ayato says.

"Bold of you to assume I'm a virgin." you reply.

"Ha! What will the great _Ore-sama_ do now?" Fedora teases.

"Why do you care anyway? I'm just your ordinary guy." you ask because there's no reason for him to be so fixated on you. To him you should be no one special. He's about to respond, but something puts him in a daze. It puts all the vampires in a daze. _What could...? The pill wore off. Already?_ You swallow the rest of the pills in your pocket and hope no one notices.

The blonde stares at you and them and it seems like she's putting the pieces together. You signal for her to be quiet and say, "Meet me in room 157 tomorrow before class. I'll explain then." She mumbles an okay back. You can feel the pills kicking in and they come out of their daze.

Then, you're in the belly of the beasts. The front door of their mansion, because that is not a house.


	4. What this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: At this point you're probably wondering what the pills reader talks about actually do to humans. You know they repel vampires by making the user's blood smell unappealing and that it encourages red blood cell production, but what the hell does cycle mean in relation to it?
> 
> The pills cycle is how long it stays in the user's blood stream. In every cycle, there are three phases. The first phase mutes the taste of existing red blood cells. The second phase creates disgustingly bitter tasting red blood cells. The third phase is the warning to take another pill. After the pill wears off, the user's blood will give off a sweet scent proportional to how bitter it was before. That's why Ayato threw up when he caught Reader's scent, but in the limo the scent put all the vampires in a daze. How long the user's blood stays sweet smelling is influenced by how long they were on the pill. Reader has been using it their entire life and will be going off the pill for the first time in his life.

You hold on to the strap of your satchel and steel yourself. "What are you waiting for?" it asks. The _you idiot_ goes unsaid.

"Not everyone lives in a mansion!" you hiss at it. "I'm just taking it in," you say to yourself. You walk into the dreary-looking mansion. "Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary." you mutter as you walk in. Reiji regards you for a second before telling you to go upstairs. He gives you vague instructions that you don't pay attention to and walks away. _Was there a library in that sentence? Fucking rich vampires._

You walk up the stairs and wait for it to walk away and jump down them silently. _I'm such a badass._ You smirk and walk down the halls. _Very gothic._ You see a locked door and walk away because whatever's locked up in a house of vampires should probably stay locked up. _I really wanna know what's behind it though._ You lose interest and walk upstairs to find the library. It is waiting with cups of tea and an actual teapot. There's actual containers of milk and _sugar cubes_. You feel so out of place. When you walk closer, you see no teabags.

"I have made a google document and contributed 1,500 words to the 16,000 word goal. It has been shared with you." Reiji says.

"Wow, you work fast." you mutter. _Goddamn vampires._ "What's all this?"

"Refreshments; you're not leaving until you get something done. We are not having a repeat of what happened in school." it says. _What happened in-? ...Oh._

"That wasn't my fault!" you say. _It kind of was._ "Next time tell your pathetic brother to control himself!"

"No one told you to leave the classroom."

"Excuse me for needing to take a piss!"

"On the other side of the school?"

"And how would you know that?!?" It's at a loss for words. It can't defend itself unless it reveals that it's a vampire. "Let's just get on with the project."

You pull out your phone and type in silence. You reach for a scone (Yes a scone because we're going English up in this biatch) and when you look at your screen again the entire paragraph you were working on has been deleted. "You bitch! Why did you delete an entire paragraph without checking with me?!?" you scream.

"It was incorrect." it replies. You forget how to breathe for a few seconds.

"You didn't tell me anything! That's something partners do! Have you never heard of communication?!?"

"That seemed unnecessary."

"It's very necessary! Minor edits are okay, scrapping an entire paragraph isn't!"  
  
"My apologies." _It's just saying that to shut me up!_ You gulp down some tea instead and _holy shit this is some good shit right here._ You finish the entire cup in two gulps. The paragraph you were typing reappears on the screen. _Why is it being so nice? Must be a trap._

You don't know which one of you starts the conversation, but soon it's a back and forth between the two of you.

"So, Vlad the Impaler was the inspiration for-"

"That can't be it Bram Stoker may have popularized it, but he had to draw inspiration from something other than Vlad Tepes. He was seen as a national hero in his country."

"That is true. Early depictions of vampires didn't resemble humans at all."

"Let's put that in the introduction."

"I have already done that."

"This's gonna be a history of vampire folklore, right?"

"That was obvious." You don't feel rage at his obvious snipe at your intelligence. _Do vampires actually have an allure?_ You force yourself to feel annoyance towards him. _Snap out of it! He's still a vampire. He'll kill you without a second thought!_ You go back to the silence, but it's a comfortable one this time.

You walk out of the house with another thousand and a half words done. "I expect you back here tomorrow." he says.

"First of all, that was more condescending than a snobby criminal going down a flight of stairs. Second of all, I have a thing for the next five days, I won't be able to come over." you reply.

"It cannot be more important-" And suddenly, you remember why you hate him again.

"Where's my bike?" He blinks at you. "My motorcycle."

"This way." He leads you to the fanciest shed you'll ever see. You grab your bike and speed out of there.

When you get home, you realize your mistake. _I'm a fucking idiot. I told blondie, I'd meet up with her tomorrow, but I can't go to school because I go off the pill tomorrow. Fuck! I can't leave her hanging._ You pace in front of your bed. _I'll just get there before everyone else and avoid the vampires when I leave._

There's no way anything will go wrong. Of course, that's why everything does.


	5. Was

You silently dress yourself in your casual clothes. You slip on your special scarf and glasses and slip out of your house. You grab your bike and walk a few blocks before taking off.

When you reach the school, you stash your bike in some bushes and climb over the gates. You wait inside the room you asked to meet her. No one enters the hallway but her. When she walks in front of it, you open the door, yank her in and lock it. "My mom's a vampire hunter, my dad's retired and I'm training to become one." you say.

"Wow, what are the odds?" she remarks.

"Higher than you think. We're part of a secret society of hunters that's spread worldwide. They're the ones who made the D pills."

"D pills?"

"Deterrent Pills. They make blood taste bitter to vampires and if you take enough, your presence will physically sicken them."

"C-can I have some?"

"I already gave you one."

"W-when?"

"When you were passed out yesterday. It should last the rest of this month."

" _You_ brought me to the nurse?"

"I couldn't just leave you there like _he_ did."

"Thank you very much (L/n)-san."

"Why do you live with vampires anyway? You're not one of them."

"My father had to go overseas and couldn't take me with him."

"Didn't you have any friends to stay with?"

"I've never been good at making friends." You choke. This sweet beautiful girl doesn't have a single friend. Impossible. You've always been weak to cute things.

"I can be your friend." _Stupid. She thinks I'm a freak now...She wouldn't be wrong._

"...Really!" She's millimeters away from hugging you.

"By the way,"

"Yes?"

"What's your name?" Her deadpan has you holding back your laughter.

"Komori Yui."

"(L/n) (Y/n)." You leave the school and speed off on your bike. You slip in the house and sleep a bit longer.

You wake up and rush towards the bathroom. You vomit for ten minutes before you can get up again. Your dad rubs your back and pulls your hair back. "You should've went off the pills earlier." he says.

"I just want to eat some warm cookies and wrap myself in a million blankets." you groan.

"Just remember to take painkillers before the hour's up for your-."

"I know!" you shout. He leaves and you swallow the small pills. Then, pain sets in. Shin gave you menstrual pills as a joke, but you might actually consider using them if the pain doesn't go away. You curl into a fetal position under your blankets.

"Drink this." It smells strongly of cinnamon, but when you drink it, there's cinnamon, coffee, chocolate, and creamy vanilla in one flavorful concoction. It warms you to the core and the pain isn't all encompassing any more. "Your mother takes the pills the same way you do." That explains it. Throughout the days that you're home, your dad pampers you. Then, it's back to school.

Shin and Komori-san are waiting for you at the gate when you pull up.

"(L/n)-san, where were you?"  
"(Y/n)-kun, were the pills useful?"

"Komori-san, I was at home. Shin, I just used regular painkillers to get through it. You're not funny."

"I was so worried when you didn't show up!" Komori-san says.

"Yeah, Yui-chan was looking everywhere for you. Luckily, I overheard and protected her in your stead." Shin says boldly.

"Probably did a shitty job." you mutter.

"I did a great job! I also called Ayato a bitch for you."

"That was scary." Komori-san whimpers.

"It's a good thing we blamed you." Shin snickers.

" **You did what?!?** " you shriek.


	6. But Now

"Hey, it's not our fault Ayato is so scary! And you stand up to him like it's nothing!" Shin whimpers. You glare menacingly.

"Please forgive Hayami-san. I mentioned wanting to curse him out." Komori-san pleads.

"No, he did it willingly. Now, he's going to explain to Ayato-san that I didn't tell him to do anything. **Right, Shin.** " you say.

"I fear Ayato more than I fear you so..." he trails off and then runs away. **_How dare he?!?_** He drags Yui along with him and leaves you by the front gate.

You sense someone approach you from behind. "Where were you?!?" Reiji asks. _Wow. He sounds mad._

"I have a medical condition." you lie. "I was in pain and couldn't leave my house." He's skeptical, but accepts your excuse.

"I added 872 words. I expect you to contribute the same amount." Reiji adds.

"Yeah, yeah. I have some friends to hunt." you reply. You take off before he can respond. You ask around and find out they went to the pool. You sneak in only to find Ayato choking Shin and Komori-san drowning. You dive in and bring Yui to the pool's edge and pull the both of you out. Then, you punch Ayato. It makes him drop Shin and he swivels to face you.

"Who fucking-?!?" Ayato screeches. "Who told you you could just not show up? Where the fuck were you?" _Who does he think he is?_

"First of all, you don't get to talk to me like that. I don't care how much money you have. Second of all, none of your business." you shout.

"Do you know who I am?!?" he screams.

"Right the 'great Ore-Sama'. Sorry I'm not bending over backwards to please you. You're less than nothing to me. Mess with me or my friends again and **they'll never find your body**." you threaten. You lead Shin and Komori-san to the school gates. "Shin take Komori-san to my house. Then, call your dad. I have to go back there to avoid suspicion."

"Will you be okay?" Komori-san asks.

"I've taken out nests before." you reassure her. _With the element of surprise._ "If anything major goes wrong I'll get out of there."

"Don't sweat it Yui-chan. (Y/n) is the best in our hunting class." Shin tells her. Shin grabs Komori-san's arm and drags her out of school. You walk to your history of writing class. _I'm actually early for once._

That's when you're slammed into the wall. It's by someone you don't recognize. He's obviously a vampire. _No hunter would dare to put their hands on me._ He grabs your tie and yanks you into a kiss. You knee him in the balls and punch him in the face.

"Who the fuck do you fucking think you are?!?" you scream at him. There's a crowd gathering.

"I've finally found you." he mumurs. Then, he buries his face in your neck. You kick the front of his knees and grab him by the collar.

"Who are you? **What do you want?** " you hiss.

"Don't you remember me (Y/n)-chan?" he whimpers. _Pathetic._ You drop him and turn to walk away.

"You're thinking of someone else. It would be in your best interests to **never talk to me again**." you threaten. He grabs your hand and you punch him. He slides back a couple centimeters.

You walk towards your next class and come in right after the bell rings. "We have a new student. He's from the US." your teacher says. _Why is my life like this?!? I've been an okay person. I don't deserve this!_ "This is Dankworth Akio. Treat him well." It's **him**. The teacher turns to the him to speak. "We've already started a project. Just choose a group to join." He walks over towards you and Reiji-san. **_Oh hell no!_**

He sits next to you. "Senpai, I finally convinced my parents to move here. Now I can be closer to my future husband." he says. _Oh, he's must be one of the hunter trainees._

"That's not happening. Let's just get started on the project." you reply.

"The second part of my name means husband. It's fate!"

"The first part means bright. Obviously, names lie." you deadpan and start typing on your phone. You manage to get 1500 words in before Dankworth-san puts his face in your personal space. _This is gonna be annoying._

Dankworth-san is waiting by the gates. You walk straight to Reiji-san. His chauffeur/butler puts your motorcycle in the trunk and Dankworth shouts, "Going to another man's house? I thought you loved me!"

You're the last one to get in and tell the chauffeur/butler, "Drive!" You fall back into someone's lap. You try to get up, but he grabs you by the waist.

"What's it that makes my brothers so fascinated with you?" he mumurs next to your ear.

"If you don't fucking let go-!" you shout. One of his arm lets go of your waist and squeezes your ass. **_How fucking dare he?!?_**

"You've got a nice ass, but your attitude needs fixing." he states. You grab his head from behind and jam your fingers in his eyes. He lets go, but you keep pushing. Reiji has to pull you off of him.

"Don't fucking touch me or I'll rip off your dick next." you hiss at him.

"I'll take pleasure in making you break." he replies. _If you weren't holding your eyes like a bitch, maybe that might've scared me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: In a few chapters, rape will be mentioned. It won't happen to the main character, but it'll be a plot point. I'll be really vague though. So vague, half of the comments for the chapter will be "What happened?"


	7. I find

When you arrive, someone tries to tug you in the opposite direction of the library, but you yank your arm out of his hold. It's the same guy from before. He's wearing a stupid hat. "You're not even scared, are you?" he asks. He's not holding his eyes anymore. _Calm down, he's not worth a reaction._ You school your features to appear disinterested. "I can't wait for that to change."

"Why don't you pay attention to me?" the shota asks. He attaches himself to your back. _If you didn't look ten, I really would punch you for daring to be so close._ You walk up the stairs and into the library. He puts his head on your shoulder and you sit down next to Reiji.

"I'll tell Dankworth-san to work on the last 3.7K words." you say.

Unbeknownst to you, Reiji narrows his eyes at Kanato when Kanato tries to bite you. "May I inquire as to why you're carrying my brother?" Reiji asks.

"He just hopped on my back. I don't mind carrying children." you reply.

"He's 17." he deadpans.

"In that case..." you say as you drop him. _I really thought he was just a tall child._

"Why do you always ruin things? Why can't I have a turn?" the shota screams.

"And now you've encouraged him." Reiji says.

"Me?!? This sounds like years of family issues!" you shout. Reiji fixes you with a disapproving stare and you walk out of the library.

That turns out to be a mistake. As soon as you turn the corner, you're slammed into the wall. Hot puffs of breath hit your neck. You hear Ayato say something but it doesn't register. _He's gonna bite me._ You feel **fear**. You pull out one of your many hidden daggers and stab him in the ribs. He falls back and you run. You barely register anything.

Next thing you know, you're home. "Is that...?" your dad asked.

"It's not mine." you remember replying. You black out and wake up in bed with clean clothes on.

You yawn and sluggishly walk to the bathroom. You turn the shower cold to shock yourself awake. _I...stabbed Ayato. Welp. I'm fucked. Goodbye sweet life._ You get dressed and walk downstairs. Your dad is waiting for you. "Nothing's gonna happen, huh." he says unimpressed. It takes you a moment to process that.

"That was a week ago! How do you still remember that?" you ask.

"Your mother said she's going to recruit Komori-san. She'll be over when you normally go to night school. Do you...?" he says instead.

"I have to go." you say. "She'll still have next weekend off right?"

"Yeah. Hayami-san won't be there today though. Are you sure?" he responds.

"Yeah, I'm sure." you reply and pause. "I love you, dad."

"What's bringing this on?" he asks concerned.

"I just realized I hadn't said it in a while."

"Well, I love you, too." he replies pulling you into a hug. You munch on fruit until it's time to go. "Take care."

You give him another hug and drive to school. You've barely taken ten steps past the gates when you're grabbed and pulled into a limo. You manage to elbow someone in the face and punch someone else in the balls. "Who the fuck-?" you ask before cutting yourself off. What you see makes you freeze. It's **him**. The vampire king. And because you can only make things worse for yourself you ask, "Is that your mom?".

"(L/n), I presume. Where's your mother?" he asks. You try your best to steel your nerves and respond naturally.

"None of your fucking business!" you shout. He tries to snatch your glasses, but you lean back at the last millisecond.

"You know who I am. You **will** show me the respect that is due." he says. _It's no use. They probably already know._

"YoU KNoW whO i Am. YOu WiLl-." you mock while trying to pull out two of your hidden blades. You aren't expecting him to slap you. You immediately bring your blades down on him. He manages to get away with minor slashes. "Yeah, I know. What're you gonna do, kill me? I stopped fearing death once I learned what it was." Blood wells up from the cuts and you throw yourself away from him. You open the door and say, "See you in class." They're all in such a state of shock that they don't stop you. You speed walk to class and wait until it fills to talk to Reiji.

"You're a-" Reiji starts.

"Yeah...and you're a vampire. I obviously can't come over anymore." you interrupt.

"It's quite a shame. Your presence has shifted to tolerable, almost pleasurable even." he remarks.

"You grew on me, too." you reply. _Like a fungus._ You go back to your seat and don't listen to the teacher drone on. You get up to use the bathroom and regret it immediately. The one with the stupid hat is in there. You try to back away but, he grabs your arm.

"We're not done yet." he says.

"I don't even know you." you say ripping your arm away. You try to walk out of the bathroom again when he slams his fist into the wall next to you shattering the wall next to your head. "You're damaging school property. Anyways, I don't have to listen to you. If you don't move, I'll make sure you won't touch me again."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?" he asks condescendingly.

"I'm just telling you what's gonna happen." you answer. He moves as if to grab you and you stab his hand.

"Ow! Fuck! Why?!?" he shrieks. You give him a look and pull the blade out of his hand. He screams again and you walk out. _I'll just go at home._

You're ambushed by Dankworth-san on your way out. You slam him into the ground and have a blade to his throat before you recognize him. "Sorry," you mutter and start walking away. He keeps pace with you.

"Wow! The ice queen of Silver Wood Academy apologized!" he says. You try your best to ignore him. "What's wrong?" You pull him to the side.

"The vampire king knows I'm a hunter. His sons have been attending this school since before I've been enrolled. He's planning something." you say.

"How can I help?" he asks.

"Be my barrier. Some of his sons are obsessed with me and I don't need that stress along with trying to find out what **he's** planning."

"Anything for my future husband."

"I'm leaving now."


	8. It

When you get home, no one's there. The door's unlocked and you have a bad feeling. There are several broken items scattered by the door. There are photo frames, utensils, and even a pot scattered around the door. You step over the various items and it's then when you notice the long slash marks and bullet holes in the walls. Your stomach drops when you see your dad's katana lying on the floor. _He never leaves it._

Under the katana is a sheet of paper. You read it and nearly break something in rage.

_You took something of mine. I took something of yours._

You call your mom instead. "The vampire king, he took dad!"

"When'd this happen?" she asks.

"I don't know, during school. He confronted me in front of his sons, so now they know what I am. He knew you. Why did he know you?" you just keep talking. You want to make sense of the mess that is now your life.

"I met him before I knew who he was. We had a thing. Then, I tried to kill him. That's not important. What's important is finding (D/n) and getting you somewhere safe."

"Okay. Okay." You try to calm down. You're more angry than anything. Because **how dare he take one of your precious people**. You want to make him burn. You'll make him pay. Your mom arranges for you to stay with her paranoid(it's not paranoia if they're really out to get ya) friend. She's armed to the teeth and has a self-modified state of the art security system. Just because vampires can't come in without permission doesn't mean they can't find a way around it. It helped your mom get away from him apparently. She wants you to stay here. _That's not happening._ You stay put for a week before you get fed up with how long they're taking. _I can't just sit here and do nothing._

Luckily, Kiyome is more focused on something getting in than you getting out. _I know where they live._ You slip out and call Shin. "I heard about what happened. Do you-?" Shin's concerned voice comes through the phone.

"Remember how I had that project with Sakamaki?" you cut him off.

"What does...?" Realization sinks in. "You didn't..."

"I'm just finding out if he's there. Then, I can plan." you reassure.

"I don't like this. There's a reason why no one ever gets sent out on revenge quests." he says.

"I'm going. Nothing's gonna change my mind." you tell him.

"At least let me come with you." he pleads.

"Fine. I need a ride anyway. I'm at Midoriya and Yume." you say and hang up. You wait for five minutes and then a car pulls up. "That was fast." You get in and buckle up.

"I was in the area." Shin replies. "Where are we going from here?"

"Keep going straight." you respond.

"(Y/n)-kun! I heard-." Dankworth-san starts.

"Yes. I fucking know everyone and their fucking uncle heard that my dad, the only constant presence in my life, was kidnapped by the vampire king because of my own goddamn stupidity!" you shout. _I was keeping it together so well._ "... I'm sorry. I...shouldn't've yelled. I'm just so angry! If I hadn't enrolled in-."

"Stop. This isn't your fault. No one forced the vampire king to take your dad. No one made vampires be assholes...Don't take responsibility for others actions." Shin says from the driver's seat.

"Thanks, I needed that." you say.

"Can't kill the vampire king with all that guilt weighing you down, can you?" Shin replies and your mind blanks. "I can only speak for myself, but I'll help you no matter what."

"I will help my future husband in all his endeavors." Dankworth-san says with a determined sparkle in his eyes.

"Turn right into the forest." you say. "And...thanks."

"You would've done the same for me." Shin says. You tell him the rest of the directions.

"Stop here. I'm gonna get closer. If I'm not back in an hour assume the worst." you say.

"Wait! We're-!" Shin and Dankworth-san start.

"-not coming because it only takes one person to do reconnaissance and if they find me I need someone to tell where they live." you finish. They look like they're about to say something else. "It's safer if I'm alone. If any of them realize there's more than one person here, they might move and I'll lose my only lead."

"...Fine." they reply. You leave the car and do check yourself. _Knives. Check. Daggers. Check. Guns. Check. Ammo. Check. What am I forgetting?"That's nice, but you're forgetting your glasses." Right! Glasses. In my pocket. Just a little while longer dad._

You sneakily walk towards the house and realize it's midnight. You slowly open up a back entrance door and step inside. Just as you suspected. They're all at school. Good for you. You're about to leave what you think is the kitchen when you hear steps coming down the hall. It takes you half a second to cling to the ceiling and pray no one looks up. A maid enters and _she looks just like you._ Her hair is longer and she's not wearing glasses, but other than that she's identical. She's flat chested too. That could be you in drag. _Does that mean I'm girly or that she's manly?_ You shiver. She leaves through the back door and you drop. You leave and search all of the rooms that are unlocked.

By unlocked, you mean the ones you can lock pick in under a minute. There are a few more close calls and you deal with them expertly. _Clinging to the ceiling=expert._ You find a locked door with _his_ scent all over it, but the lock won't budge.

"What crawled up his ass and died?"

"Tableware Otaku fell in love with **_that_** human."

"He's more intelligent company than the rest of you incompetent-."

You know those voices. _Shit._ You open up a window and slide it shut behind you. You dash to the car and climb in. "Well?" Shin asks and starts driving away.

"I found a door that might be where my dad is, but _they_ came back before I could check. Also, one of the maids looks disturbingly similar to me so, next time I could pretend to be her." you respond. "I'll go back the day after tomorrow."

"Next time, we're bringing an adult." Shin says.

"Which adult?" you ask. There's a list that you'll refuse to go with.

"Himiko-." he starts.

"No." you cut him off.

"Who's Himiko?" Akio-san asks. _Weird that you're thinking of him like that now._

"A fucking psychopath."

"My older sister. And would you stop saying that."

"You don't understand. I've been on hunts with her! She looks more monstrous than the vampires we kill!" you defend.

"Which is why she'll be perfect and she's the only one lacking the sense to say no." Shin deflects.

"...Fine." you relent. Shin drives you back to Kiyome's house and slip in through the gap you left. You pull out all of your heavy duty and concealable weapons and lay them out. You hear Kiyome approaching your door and put them all in a box under your bed. You pull the blanket so it covers it, get under your covers and fake sleep which turns into real sleep.


	9. Never Was

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be slight changes from this point on. Some subplots I had in mind were stupid and I won't be pursuing them any further.

You wake up ready to sneak in. You shower with an unscented soap and wear clothes that you haven't worn in a while. You slide dozens of blades up your sleeves and tuck more in your pants and boots. You slide a few rounds of ammo and a gun under your clothes and a retractable katana. _Dad. I'm coming._ You leave the house and meet up with Shin, Akio, and Himiko.

"This sounds crazy, for you, I mean-. For me, it sounds like another Saturday, but for you-. You're the star student of V.H.S. and this is subordination." Himiko says as soon as you get into the car.

"Yes, thank you for your unneeded unwanted opinion." you reply.

"You're a stone cold bitch you know that right?" she replies. _Patience._ You tell yourself. _She's the bitch._ You want to screech. Instead, you punch her. She dodges and punches back.

"Do they always fight like this?" Akio asks.

"Only every other time they meet." Shin replies with a deadpan.

You finally reach and you get out of the car. Himiko follows you but keeps her distance. You reach the mansion in record time. "I'll be here just in case you need back up." She hides in the bushes. You take a breath to steady yourself and freeze. The maid that looks like you is staring at you. You immediately move to knock her out and drag her into the tool shed nearby. You tie her up and hide her under a bunch of gardening equipment. You walk out of the shed and rush towards the locked room. You pour some acid on the lock and wait. It's not disintegrating fast enough so you pour the entire container on it.

"What are you doing in _those clothes_?!? The young masters will be here in less than an hour!" he says.

"I, sort of, lost my uniform?" you say with a higher pitched voice than usual. You angle your body to hide the lock from his view.

"Honestly. You young folk and your garish clothing choices. Follow me." he turns on his heel and starts walking. "I see you followed my advice and cut your hair. It was more of a hindrance than a help. Young master Reiji-san wanted it cut anyway." He stops in front of the door. "Your uniform is in there. Change quickly and get rid of those ridiculous glasses." You walk in the room and wait.

Five minutes later, he asks if you're done changing yet. You sigh. _The things I do for my family._

You emerge from the room feeling very uncomfortable. _Thank god there were pants in there. Still, couldn't she have a less exposed shirt. I look like a fucking stripper._ You avoid making eye contact with him since your glasses are in your pocket. "I see you are finally following instructions. Resume cleaning the halls in that direction." he commands and to your luck, it's the direction of the door. You walk in that direction and hear him mumble something about disrespect and ignore him.

You rush towards the door and-. _Wow that is fast acting acid._ The entire door knob is melted through. You kick the door open and run in. Later, you'll scold yourself for not being cautious but right now all you can say is, "Dad."

"(Y/n)? Is that really you?" he asks.

You pull off your glasses and say, "Yeah, it's me dad." He looks into your (e/c) eyes with small red circles inside of the iris and smiles in relief. "Let's get out of here before they come back." you say. Then, you hear gurgling. Your dad grabs a bundle of blankets and you realize the bundle is the source of the gurgling. You look at the face peeking out of the blankets and it says, "Ai."

"We have to go." your dad says. You hear someone coming and open up a window nearby.

"Go out through here. I'll be right behind you." you say. Your dad jumps out with the baby in his arms. _I'll ask him about it later._ You're about to jump out when you hear someone call your name.

"(L/n)-san. I-." he says.

"I don't want to hear it **_Reiji_**." you tell him firmly. You **hate** vampires. Just because you warmed up to him doesn't mean you can't become frigid with him just as quick. He's a vampire after all. You slip through the window and take off as stealthily as you can. You can feel his eyes on you.

You stared Reiji down...without your glasses. _Worry about it later._ When you get back to the car, everyone's there. Shin starts driving and the only sound is of the tires rolling over the ground. "Who's the baby?" Himiko squawks. Your dad flinches and shrinks in on himself. _What...happened to him?_

"This was a stress filled day. Normal people need to unwind afterwards. Not everyone's a fucking psychopath." you argue.

"But-!"

"No." You glare at her.

"Fine! Dragging me out in Bumfuck, MiddleOfNowheresville for a secret mission where I didn't get to taste blood from a single cooling vampire corpse! And all I wanted was-!"

"Himiko..." Shin tries to interject.

"Shut the fuck up. This wasn't mean to be fun or to scratch whatever itch you have from a month of probation! This was to rescue my dad and apparently I'm too much of a fuck up to do that right because it took me too long and now he's suffering because of me! I have no damn clue where the baby came from! None of us do! But we've been gifted with the superpower called common sense and blessed with shutting our damn mouths! Can you do the world a favor and do the same?!?" you rant. The whole car goes silent until Shin has to let Akio out. Himiko moves to the front seat and you move over to give your dad more space.

The silence is broken when the baby says, "Fffffff...uck!" Everyone pretends it didn't happen.


	10. Can we...?

It's been a week since then. Your dad refuses to leave Kiyome's house and he won't tell you what happened. Not that you pushed him to tell you anything. You're waiting for him to open up to you. _He waited for me to sort out my shit._

You saved him, right? _Then, why does this feel like failure?_

You push your thoughts down and breathe. Even though your dad brought the baby, he refused to even look at it after he got here and Kiyome is always working on improving her defenses. That leaves taking care of the baby to you and occasionally Shin and- _you shudder at the thought_ \- Akio. Together, you are marginally capable of taking care of a baby. Still, you are the one who suffers from lack of sleep and spit ups and a baby's apparent aim _because there is no way he manages to always piss on my face or my hair whenever I try to change his diapers._

It distracts you from the fact that you're on probation for three months. Once the higher ups realized you didn't stay in Kiyome's house, they were reasonably pissed. They said shit like "You are top of your class, you should know better" "We expected better from you" and "It's that Hayami family, putting insubordination into his head". Basically getting bitched at by people who think they know better than you. _Last I checked, I had two parents. Not twenty._

Ryoutei called your phone. You were honestly wondering when they would realize you weren't showing up. It's been about what? two-three weeks? The dull voice of your homeroom teacher says you will get an automatic zero for this quarter. Normally you'd say fuck grades, but your mom has decided to be an involved mother for the first time since your third birthday. She smiles with steel and says if you don't graduate, you don't get to be a hunter.

"You don't fucking understand! There are vampires who go to that goddamn school that know I'm a fucking hunter!"

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Kiyome interjects unhelpfully.

"I would if she was ever around!" you regret the words as soon as they come out. Your mother's gaze darkens and there's a long silence.

"You **will** be in class tomorrow." Her gaze kills any protests that well up in your throat. _That killed any hope that she actually cared._

The next day, you stand in front of the school alone. _Surprise, surprise. Mom didn't even come with. I've learned to stop expecting things from her...so why does it hurt?_ You shake your head to clear your thoughts. _Let's just hope I can ditch all of my classes today._ You sigh and walk in the building. You feel like you're forgetting something. _Probably isn't important._

You immediately bump into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're-!"  
"Sorry, I didn't see-."

Your eyes meet.

"Oh. It's _you_." you both say with equal parts disgust and disappointment.

"You've got some fucking nerve showing your face here!"

"Believe me emo-boy, I want to be here just as much as you want me to be."

He grabs your uniform blazer and yells, "The fuck you calling emo?!?"

"Your depressed ass! You probably listen to my chemical romance and billie eilish!"

"Fuck you!" he screeches and pulls his arm back for a punch and you dodge and punch him in the face. He punches back and you both hit the floor. You both roll around on the floor trying to hurt the other. You don't know when it happens but you are suddenly aware of lips on yours. You both clutch each other's clothes and try to deepen the kiss. He nudges at your lips with his tongue and you open your mouth slightly to let him in. It's hot and wet and you can't get enough of it. _Isn't he...?_ He does something with his tongue that makes you melt and you struggle to maintain that thought. _He's a vampire? Why...is that relevant?..._ ** _Shit!_** _He's a vampire!_ You manage to separate your lips and a string of saliva connects your lips. You stare at him. He stares at you. You both jump away from each other almost violently and turn around and walk in opposite directions. _Nopenopenopenopenopenopenope._

You reach a bathroom after a while and walk towards the sink. After you rinse your mouth out a million times, you stare at your reflection. You look like a wild animal attacked you. Your clothes are ripped in a way that can't be explained away. _That was...something. I could do worse than Subaru._ You bang your head against the sink until that thought leaves your head. _Vampires... are enemies. That was made clear by the vampire king's latest actions against my family._ You splash water into your face and ignore the dent you left in the sink. _It's not like I'll ever face him again. He was pretty embarrassed too._

You leave the bathroom and walk towards your classroom. You sense Ayato before you see him. You shove him into a wall and keep walking. He's too focused on getting out of the wall to find out who did it. You do hear him cursing up a storm as you walk past. _It's about time one of them got inconvenienced by me instead of doing the inconveniencing._

As soon as you open the classroom door, you are slammed against the wall. " **Where...were you?** " Reiji hisses. _As if he has the right to know where I am._ You slap his hands away.

"None of your business." you state.

"(L/n)-san, how nice of you to finally join us." your teacher says. "I'll see you after class." _Fuck._

You sit down and ignore the feeling of Reiji's eyes burning into the back of your head. _This is gonna be a long day._


	11. Just

You were right. As soon as lunch started, Reiji is right at your back. "We need to talk." Instead of replying you make a tactical retreat only to bump into someone. They grab your sides and you feel them tense. You look up and blush at what you see. _Subaru._ You back away from each other and you go up to the roof.

Shin eventually comes to the roof and sits next to you. You sit in silence and enjoy each other's company. "(Y/n)..." he says breaking the silence. "Are you-? How are you and your dad holding up?" There's a long stretch of silence.

"Can't we just sit here?" you reply and stare up at a starry sky. You sigh. _I just want something to be normal._

You remember something your mother said to you when you were a child. Back when she bothered being around for more than a day at a time. You wanted to play with the other kids. You recall it vividly. The squinting and headaches because you didn't have glasses or laser surgery yet. The warmth of sunlight through a window on your skin. You wished to leave the house for once in your four year old life.

_"Mommy! Please! I wanna play outside!"_

_"No. And don't think I don't know you tried to get your father let you out."_

_"Why not! Akemi and Daisuke say 's not normal for me t' be inside so much an' I wanna play hide n' seek! An' tag!"_

**_"We don't get to do normal."_ **

Those words have stuck with you since then. _Is it so wrong to long for normalcy?_ You look down at students that are coming in late. _To want to be like them?_ "Okay." he says breaking you out of your thoughts. He gives you a close eyed smile and changes the topic.

"Have you decided on a name for the brat yet?" he asks. You're glad you have such a good friend.

"I was gonna go with ijiwaru or mendokuse but those are just nicknames. His name is Chisuke." you answer.

"That's...a nice name."

"You don't have to lie. It's a shitty name."

"It's better than being named Anaru or Krillin."

"Krillin does the best he can with what he has. It's not his fault everyone around him was genetically predisposed to be at least twice as strong without any effort!"

"There's also Akuma and Kira."

"Oh god, that anime was terrible."

"I liked it."

"Really, 'I have no idea I'm Kira but I somehow have the same thought processes as Kira. I also have no memory from the time Kira surfaced until now and I just so happened to have been recently investigated on the basis that I might've been Kira. This girl who I just met has an unhealthy devotion to me and said she would only love me more if I was Kira.'. For a supposed genius, Light sure has a hard time rubbing those two brain cells together. Also, two people simultaneously get amnesia when they're both suspected of being Kira. That piece of evidence should be damning. And you just liked it because you had a crush on Matsuda."

"Excuse you. I'm bi. I had a crush on Misa."

"So you have a thing for blondes."

"I have a thing for adorable people who could kill me easily."

"Kinky~"

"Shut up! Let's talk about you and Subaru."

"There's nothing going on between me and Subaru."

"Your red face tells me different. Did he sweep you off your feet?" Shin wiggles his eyebrows.

"Fuck no! I'd dominate the shit out of him!"

"So you've thought about it." At that moment you realize exactly how much you've screwed up.

"...No!" That's a lie.

"Why'd you hesitate?"

"I'm a hunter and you're asking if I... thought about those monsters in any other way than dead." Shin opens his mouth but is cut off by the bell.

"I'll see you later."

"...Thanks for this. I...needed it."

"Anytime." he says and walks away. As soon as you think he's out of hearing range, you punch the wall and scream. Tears well up in your eyes but you refuse to let them fall. _I just want things to go back to the way they were._ You walk back to class. You are numb. _Why couldn't you have a crush on Shin? Everything would be easier._

You manage to make it back on time and sit down. "(L/n)-san, would you like to describe the relationship between Petruchio and Katherina in the play we are reading?"

Your mind blanks. _What play was that from?_ You feel someone's gaze burning at the back of your head.

"Petruchio is abusive towards Katherina. He could tell her the sky is green and she'll agree because of fear of the consequences."

"Sakamaki-san, would you like to elaborate?" The teacher suggests. _Thank god I guessed right!_

You turn and see Reiji staring directly at you. " _Petruchio_ is a selfish and vain man. _Katherina_ is a foul tempered and equally self-absorbed. Their relationship would fail if one didn't submit to the other." You get the feeling he's not talking about Petruchio and Katherina anymore. "In order to have a successful marriage, _Petruchio_ had to use some questionable methods to make _Katherina_ see his way but he wouldn't have had to do that if she just behaved. Anyways, he achieved the preferred end result of _taming the shrew._ " The look in his eyes promises pain. _Fuck off. I've seen toddlers scarier than you._

"Abuse is not acceptable in any situation and that type of victim blaming belongs in the 18th century!" a classmate of yours shouts. "So Katherina had a few rough edges. So do the rest of us. We're human not perfect! No one deserves the treatment Katherina got." She's shaking now.

"I suppose we should blame Petruchio."

"Yes! You blame the abuser for abuse!" You zone out for the rest of the class.


	12. Stop and Stare

You enter Kiyome's house and it's in a flurry of activity. Your dad is out of his room for once and he's screaming at your mother.

"How fucking dare you send **my** son to the fucking school that's infested with vampires?!?"

"He's my son too and I'll do what I want with him!"

"Do you even fucking hear yourself?!? You're a bitch and I am glad you were never around my son!"

"Goddamnit! First you want me involved, now you want me gone! Make up your fucking mind!"

"Excuse me for hoping that my wife would actually care about her family but nOoOoo, everything she's ever done is for some goddamn secret society of dicks that only produces more dickheads! Did you ever care about us?!?"

"Masataka..." _Come on! Say something! Don't let this all be a lie!_

"Did you know where I was?!?"

"I..."

"Did you know what **he** did to me?!?"

"You know what they..." She looks guilty? She reaches for his arm.

" **Don't touch me!** " She yanks her hand back just in time. A katana slashes through the space it once occupied. "I don't know what I was thinking, I should've just taken Seiji's advice. I wish I never married you." He walks out and bumps into Kiyome. She's holding Chisuke and trying to make him stop crying. _I didn't even notice with the sound of_ _mom and dad yelling._

Chisuke immediately stops crying and reaches for you. You pick him up and notice his very full diaper. _Why?!?!?!?!?_

"I'll change him." your mom offers. You eye her suspiciously. She looks excessively guilty.

"What happened to dad?" It's a breach of privacy but everyone but you knows and you just want to _help_.

"None of your fucking business."

"It's always none of my business, isn't it?"

"How dare you-?!?"

"No. How dare you have the nerve to come back here and be an even bigger fucking asshole than you were every other time you visited?!?" She opens here mouth to speak but you cut her off. "Dad and I, we both knew it wasn't normal to have to drag any sliver of affection out of you but...but we hoped that you might change and you did, **for the worse**. I gave up on you but-. Did you realize Dad never left the house if you were there? How he always made extravagant gestures to get your attention? Hoping you would love him at least half as much as he learned to love you." She's silent and averts her eyes. "Just go change Chisuke. That doesn't require you to love him." you say bitterly. _If the vampire king didn't kidnap my dad...how long would it have taken for my family to fall apart? It seems like it would've been unavoidable._ You walk away and tell Kiyome you're going out. You ride your motorcycle to a worn down skate park. You dismount and sit on the edge and try to clear your mind. You give up and text Shin.

 _Wyd_  
 _Studying for tomorrow's exam and u should b 2_  
 _Funny how you replied so fast_  
 _"studying"_  
 _Fineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_  
 _I'm mad_  
 _Y_  
 _Himiko beat me using yamcha_  
 _fr?_  
 _Yessssss_ 😫  
 _Wht character did u use?_  
 _It's embarrassing_  
 _Goku black_  
 _So u jus suck at the game_  
 _I came here 2 hav a good time but honestly I'm feeling so attacced rn_  
 _..._  
 _Wher r u_  
 _I'm @ the old skate park_  
 _Remember when skateboarding used 2 b kool_  
 _I kno u did not just spell cool w/ a k_  
 _U kno I did_  
 _Why are we frnds_  
 _Bc I'm the only 1 who puts up with your misspelled words_  
 _..._ 🤨 _who spelled cool w/ a k_  
 _Your hypocritical ass that who_  
 _Kool w/ a k is krazy kool_  
 _Don't text me anymore_  
You put down your phone and are suddenly aware you are not alone. You hear a faint rustling in the trees. You tense and let one of your hidden knives out. "(L/n)-san!" a voice shouts. You know that voice. _Why do I know that voice?_ "I just wanted to find you to personally thank you." _Komori Yui._ "You saved me!" You turn and face her. She looks different. Her hair is pulled back into a short ponytail with just enough strands framing her face to for something reminiscent of bangs. She's wearing gray sweatpants and a dull purple sweater over a black t-shirt. But that's not all, she seems lighter and more self confident now.

"You didn't deserve what happened to you." you reply and suddenly you're thinking of your dad. _He didn't deserve it either._ "It was the least I could do. How are you doing?"

"I have so many friends now! And I'm going through training so quickly! It's like I was meant to be a vampire-!" she starts. You cover her mouth with your hand and put your finger to your lips.

"You're not supposed to announce it to the world!" you tell her.

"Sorry, I'm just so happy. My life is finally looking up." That's when Ayato falls out of the tree. Komori-san looks like she only has one thought in her brain. It's the same one you do. _Fml._

"Chichinashi? Where did you wander off to?" Ayato asks.

"None of your business." she replies. _That's been said a lot lately._ She pulls out- _holy fuck! Is that a fucking scythe?!?_ \- a scythe and twirls it a few times. "I'm not that helpless girl anymore. Hurt me and I'll kill you and enjoy it."

"Tch. It's not worth the trouble. Chichinashi, megane...I'll have you both eventually." He licks his lips and lets his tongue trail over his fangs before walking away.

A text tone goes off and it isn't yours. Komori-san pulls out a black and pink phone. "Naho-chan told me I have to get back soon. Kyoushi-sensei wants me to finish my training before I go on a hunt." She starts walking away.

"Do...do you want me to come with you? Safety in numbers and that shit." you ask.

"I'd love that." she replies with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yui is back!!! I have plans for her.  
> Your mom might have a redemption arc. Maybe.  
> The baby, Chisuke, I have plans for him too.  
> Where has Akio been all this time?


	13. As

Kyoushi-san is younger than you thought she would be. She brushes a loose strand of dark brown hair out of her face. "Komori-san, I suppose you are ready for the hunt tomorrow?" she says.

"Yeah! It's about time-!" Komori-san starts and gets hit with the hard side of a fan. "Itai! What was that for?!?"

"I was being sarcastic. Get inside." she answers.

"I'll see you later (Y/n)!" Komori-san says walking up the steps.

Before you can open your mouth Kyoushi-san says, "No you won't." She waits until Komori-san is inside to say, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" You have to force yourself to keep your voice even.

"Those creatures are fixated on you now. You understand why I can't let Komori-san see you, right?"

"Yeah." _I didn't save her to endanger her again. It's nice to see Komori-san develop a personality away from those monsters._

She looks you in the eyes as she says, "You'll be okay." Then, she shuts the door. You walk away from the door and think about where you'll go now. It doesn't take long for you to decide to visit Shin.

Ten minutes into your walk, you bump into someone. He's running across the street trying to beat the light when he collides with your back. "(Y/n)-kun! I haven't seen you in forever!"

"Akio-san. It's been a while." you reply. He stares at you intensely. "What?"

"Just getting used to you saying my name." he replies with a blush. There's a long stretch of silence. "... I heard you kissed the youngest vampire." _How the fuck did he hear about that?!?_

"Who the fuck did you hear that from?" you ask. _So I can_ ** _gut_** _them._

"I'm in the same class as him. He kept ranting about a hunter with "stupid alluring (e/c) eyes" and "kissable lips". I figured that was you." he replies. _Sometimes I forget I'm not the only one with more than brain cell._

"We are **not** talking about that." you state and force a blush down. "How long will you be in Japan?"

"My future husband wants to know when I'm gone? What does he plan to do when I'm gone?" You stare at him unimpressed. "A few months at most, my parents got word of an attempted vampire resurrection. It was supposed to be a pure blood. It seems like it failed but we have to make sure."

"How come I didn't hear about this?"

"Your mother was at the meetings, everyone thought she would pass the news on."

" _Of course_ they did." You don't even try to conceal your bitter tone.

Sensing the mood he says, "Hey, you wanna go to a cat cafe? I know a great one not to far from here."

"...Why not?" you eventually respond. You'll always be the last to admit when you need a break but at this point any escape from what you're feeling is welcome. _Plus...I like cats._ You let Akio drag you in a different direction than the one you were walking in before.

The silence lasts all of 30 seconds before Akio breaks it. "Shin told me you named the baby."

"Yeah." you reply.

"Does this mean you're keeping it?"

"At this point there's no other choice."

"...so I heard about this girl who joined HS recently. She's really friendly and strong. I think you'd like her."

"Pink eyes, blonde?"

"I see you've met."

"On several occasions."

"Is there anything you wanna talk about?"

"How far away is the cat cafe?" He deflates and for some strange reason you feel bad about that. "What's your favorite Marvel movie?"

His eyes light up at your question. "I like Civil War."

"But the plot's stupid."

"No, it's not! It's about whether or not superheroes will be held accountable for their actions."

"The conflict is stupid. First of all, how did no one hear about the accords? Something that important would've had months of announcing at least. Second of all, let's say they all signed, how does that prevent the death of non-combatants? Also, they're fucking superheroes who've saved the world on multiple occasions, who can actually stop them from doing what they want?"

"But...accountability."

"The Incredibles did it better." He doesn't have time to debate it further because you've arrived at the cat cafe. _So many cats._ You prepare for a fuzzy death. _Not the worst way to go._ You let Akio lead you to a seemingly random spot.

"Stay here." he orders and dashes off. You sit and run your hands over the carpeting. There's a soft nudge at the base of your spine. You turn and look down. It's a cat with white fur and dark eyes.

"Hi." you say. It hisses at you. "What?" It jumps up and your quick reflexes are the only thing that saves your face from its claws. It shreds part of your jacket on its way down. _Why._

"I see you've met Milk-chan." Akio says. He's returned with cat toys. Milk-chan struts over to Akio and looks way too satisfied with herself. "She takes a while to warm up to new people." _Of course she does._ "Hold your hand out, she'll put her head in it."

"She's gonna bite me." you tell him.

"Just do it." he urges. _When did he grow a backbone?_

"When she bites me..." you trail off. You smell **blood**. You scan the shop and see someone at the register with poorly hidden bandages. You're about to turn away when catch an even stronger scent at the door. A girl with fangs is waiting there, her eyes trained on the person at the register. "Akio-san, there's a vampire outside. I'm gonna kill it."

"Okay-. Wait! Where?!" he asks. You're already up and following the person who left the register. You hide behind corners and people but keep them in your sights. You're about to turn the corner when you hear a female voice.

"You weren't followed?"

You strain to hear a soft "No."

"Good. Can't believe you still have to fucking eat." There's a pause and a muffled cry. "It's time for you to repay me."

"No. I don't-."

"I don't care what you want. This is still gonna happen." You peek past the corner and see the woman's fangs hovering over their neck. She makes eye contact with you and disappears. You feel her presence behind you and stab her with one of your many hidden knives. "Wha-? How?" she chokes out.

In an uncharacteristicly happy mood you reply "I'm a vampire hunter. I kill things stronger than you all the fucking time." You pull the blade out of her and let her fall. The person, whose gender you still haven't managed to place, tries to run away. "Hey! Wait!" You start to run after them but remember the dead body you left. You call Akio. "Hey, so I killed the vampire but the person she was with ran away. Can you take care of it? I owe you one." You tell him where you left the corpse and speed up. When you catch up to them, they're panting.

"Don't kill me!" they beg.

"Kill you?" you repeat.

"I just wanted to get away from my family and then she killed them and I had to go with her andit'snotmyfaultshewouldn'tstopbitingmeandIdidn'tasktobeamonster!" they wail. The people passing by give weird stares. _Weren't you just out of breath?_

"I'm not gonna kill you." you sigh.

"But I'm a-."

"The only reason I followed you was to tell you not to tell other humans about what you saw."

"I'm a vampire though." You take a deep breath .

" **Why would you tell me that?** I was letting you go. Now, I'm obligated to kill you." you pinch the bridge of your nose. You look around and see one person in the distance. "Oh no. There's a witness and I can't kill you. This would be the perfect opportunity for someone to _run away_."

"Wha?"

"Do I have to run away for you too?" That makes them get up and start running away. _Their stupidity will kill them before anyone else gets the chance to. Wait._ _.._ _I never learned their gender._ Your phone buzzes in your pocket. You pick up.

"Hello?"

Your dad's voice is on the other end. "Hey...(Y/n). I'm sorry. I haven't talked to you at all. I should've-."

"No! It's okay. You've been through a lot. You don't need to apologize." _It's great to hear his voice again._

"No. I...do. I was avoiding you because...I'm sorry I can't."

"Take as much time as you need."

"How did I end up with such a thoughtful son?" Your eyes start to burn.

"I..." you stop to wipe the tears from your eyes. "I have a pretty great dad."

"Only pretty great?"

"He's actually amazing but don't tell him that. It'll go to his head." You can hear his laugh through the phone and it's then that you know. _Dad's gonna get better._ It's like a weight lifted off your shoulders.

"I'll see you at home." The call ends and you realize you have no idea where you are. You start walking.


	14. Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever I get a notification that someone commented, I get so hype and it motivates me to write more. So thanks for commenting!
> 
> I post chapters right after I finish writing them. So while I do have a basic framework for how this story will go, I am open to suggestions. Feel free to do so. Chances are it'll end up in the story. If not, probably a non-canon chapter. Happy reading!

Through some vagary of the arcane, you make it home(if you can even call it that). You are immediately greeted with the scent of food cooking. You take off your shoes and walk into the kitchen. Kiyome and your dad are making something at the stove. Your dad turns at the sound of the door opening.

"Hi! How was your walk?" he asks.

"Uneventful." you lie through your teeth. "You sound happy."

"Well, your mother left." he starts and his tone shifts to tender. "Are you okay with that?"

"It's not like I'm not used to it." you reply and can't keep the bitterness out of your tone. "So, what's cooking?"

"I found a recipe for soup that's supposed to repel vampires and we're all gonna try some." Kiyome answers. Then, you notice the distinct lack of crying.

"Chisuke asleep?"

"Not exactly." Kiyome and your dad say in unison. Your dad continues, "It's better if you see for yourself. You cautiously walk up the stairs and down the hall that leads to your room. You nudge the door open and scan the room. Everything is covered in bite marks. There's even ones on the ceiling and windows. Growling draws your attention to the lump under your sheets. You approach slowly but when you're at the side of the bed, the sheets go flying. A humanoid form covered in shadows launches itself at you. You kick it. You stare at it and realize you just kicked Chisuke.

"I'm so sorry. Not that you'll understand me." you apologize and pick him up. _He wasn't this big before...Right?_ What you hear next almost startled you into dropping him.

"Is okay tou-san. I havta learn ta dodge if I wanna be a hunter like you!" Chisuke replies. _First of all, that sounds like the bullshit mom fed me whenever she hurt me in training. Secondly, when the_ ** _fuck_** _did Chisuke learn to talk beyond saying fuck and hi? Thirdly, I am no one's father._

"I'm not your tou-san."

"Kaa-san?"

"Do I look like I have the equipment for that?" You sigh. "Call me nii-san if you must." Your eyes catch the very apparent bite marks. "What's up with all the biting?"

"My teeth really hurted so I bit to stop the hurting." _Well I guess someone has to go back out for teething rings. And if it's between Kiyome, dad and me, there's only one correct answer._ "They still hurt. Can you get me something harder to bite nii-san?"

"After we eat." you reply. _Something's off._ You walk down the stairs with Chisuke cradled in one arm. "Chisuke's teething." you announce once you reach the last step.

"I noticed." your dad replies dryly.

"He's a vampire, isn't he?" you ask even though you already know the answer.

"Half-vampire."

"Half-vampire?"

"You want me to explain?" Kiyome cuts in.

"Please...I can't..." _Look what you did you fucking dumbass._ Your dad leaves the room and takes Chisuke with him.

"When your father was taken, the vampire king took your father's DNA and combined it with his own." _Chisuke. No wonder he was so insistent on taking him but avoided him like the plague._

You're almost afraid to ask, "Can you...tell me what happened to Dad?"

All she replies with is, "DNA isn't the only thing that **_vampire scum_** took from him." It doesn't take a genius to put the signs together.

" **I'm gonna kill him.** **I'll kill that fucking bastard.** " you grit your teeth and shake with poorly concealed rage. Kiyome puts her hand on your arm.

"Don't do anything rash."

"But he-!"

"I will keep you safe even if it means trapping you in this house. Your father needs your love and support. I refuse to let those **things** to hurt anyone else." Her words prevent the fiery rage in your blood from boiling over. She walks towards the counter and picks up a phone.

"What're you doing?" you ask curiosity overriding anger.

"I'm calling your night school and telling them you're transferring." she replies. _That's the best news I've heard in a while._

"Thank you so much!" You really hated that school and now that the vampires know what you are, it's not safe for you anymore.

"Someone has to look after the both of you. I'm just picking up your mother's slack."

"Let's...not talk about her."

"That's fair." She puts all of her attention into the phone call after those words.

You **hate** this situation and you hate to admit it but you're powerless to change it. The thought causes your eyes to burn and suddenly something wet slides down your face. _Am I...crying?_ You wipe your face and try to stop but the hot tears just keep coming. You take several shaky breaths before you can blink without another tear being produced.

"What do you mean he can't?! There's an actual threat to his-! You know what, I don't care! He's not showing up tomorrow. Goodbye." She turns to face you. "I'll tell your father he can come back now." She exits the room and re-enters with your dad and Chisuke in tow. You and your dad make eye contact but neither of you knows what to say.

"...This is my fault. I'm so sorry!" you say. _I thought I already cried all my tears._

"...It's not your-." he replies.

"Yes, it is. If I hadn't brought Komori home-!"

"You got her out of a dangerous situation. I wouldn't expect you to sit by and let her suffer."

"But-!"

"You better not tell me you regret it."

"Of course I don't! I just wish..." _that you didn't have to suffer because of it._

"(Y/n), for someone who hates vampires, you sure take responsibility for _their_ actions a lot." Kiyome cuts in. _That...that's exactly what you've been doing._

"Then, why do I feel responsible?"

"You don't want to admit that you couldn't stop it. Admitting that means admitting that this was out of your control." She lays a hand on your shoulder. "There's nothing you could've done. What you can do moving forward is up to you."

"I'm...I'm gonna kill him. I'll find some way to get stronger. I-! He has to pay!" you growl. You force yourself to calm down. _Having to calm me down is the last thing I want my dad to deal with._ "I'm gonna get Chisuke some teething rings. I'll be back." You start to walk towards the door.

Your dad hugs you and says, "It's not your fault."

"I know." is all you say before leaving for the store. Because your life is shit right now, _he's_ there.

"We need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 5/17/20: I was too vague so I'll just say it here: Your dad got raped. I was trying to say it without saying it but there have been multiple comments asking for clarification so here it is. My bad.


	15. Passes Us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone hates Dankworth Akio? I'm doing my job right.😁

"There's no time for pleasantries. I have surmised that you want ' **that man** ' dead. Fortunately for you, so do I." Reiji says instead. You walk away before he can say more. _I refuse to deal with_ ** _them_** _if I don't have to._ He reappears in front of you. "A partnership between us would be highly beneficial."

"You think I'm a fucking idiot, don't you? First of all, he's the vampire king for a reason. If anyone was strong enough to kill him, he'd be dead already. Secondly, don't think I didn't notice you saying partnership. I **hate** vampires and since you're one of them, I guess I hate you. Thirdly, fuck off before I beat your ass!" you reply.

"If you hate vampires so much, why did you save that one? I'm sure finishing off a newly turned vampire is effortless for a hunter of your caliber."

Instead of wondering how the fuck he knows that, you reply,"They were human once and they didn't want to be a vampire."

"Then, why are you taking care of a vampire at the moment? I don't think you hate vampires as much as you believe you do."

 _How does he know that?!_ "Fuck off! I'm a hunter and you're looking more and more like prey. Killing you is not outside of my abilities. No one would miss you."

He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. "Will you stop being so difficult?! I'm offering to help!"

"And why would you want to help me?"

"Because I love you!" _What._

You quickly turn on your heel and speed walk away. "Nope. Not dealing with that shit."

"Wait!" The uncharacteristic desperation in his voice makes you pause.

" **What**." but it doesn't keep the venom out of your voice.

"There's a woman you need to meet." He pauses.

"I'm listening."

He grits his teeth and has to force the next words out. "The mother of-!" You watch him stagger and steady himself. _That's a pretty strong confidentiality spell. I didn't think think they could be cast on vampires._ "The first-!" He collapses. _I guess I should pick him up. It'd be suspicious if I just left him...no matter how tempting it is._ You put him over your shoulder and look for a teething ring. You grab a handful of them and walk towards the register ignoring the stares you get. The cashier rings them up and you pay it. Reiji stirs when you walk out of the store. You dump him onto the sidewalk.

"There's a woman I need to meet? The first? Mother of?" He nods but that doesn't tell you anything.

"Can you at least tell me her name? What she looks like?"

"Lil-!" He starts coughing uncontrollably. It takes you awhile to put things together. _The first mother of? Lilith! I thought she was a myth?_

"You can stop. I figured it out. Lilith, right?" You extend a hand to help him up and turn away. He yanks on your arm and the next thing you feel are his lips on yours. You jerk away but his hand is on the back of your head forcing you back into the kiss. You don't know how long the both of you stay there.

"How dare you touch (Y/n)-senpai?!" Akio's voice rings out. Reiji stands up and drags you with him. He holds you against his body and glares over your shoulder.

"Don't involve yourself in matters that don't concern you." Reiji tells him but you're not paying attention. _That's the third vampire I kissed and I liked it. Is there something wrong with me? I'm supposed to be a hunter but I keep ending up with them. I still can't believe my ex was one of them..._

"That's my future husband you're holding!"

"I'll do more than just hold him." You're kissing again and his hand slips down your back. Then, he goes flying off of you. _Am I...do I have a vampire fetish? This isn't the time to think about this._

 _"_ A-Akio." You shout. _How can one kiss mess me up like this?_ "Get off of him."

"If you can tell me you wanted it, I'll stop!"

"What the hell, Akio?!" You walk over and pull Akio off of Reiji. _Why does he get to look unruffled, like this didn't affect him?_

"Lemme go! I have to defend your honor!" _What did I do to deserve this?_

"Hopefully, next time, we can go uninterrupted." Reiji says and walks away as if your worldview hasn't just been shifted.

"Well...fuck you!" you say because you have to at least have the last word. There's a gasp behind you and a mother looks at you disdainfully and covers a child's ears. You walk back home. _When'd I start calling Kiyome's place home? That's not important. Focus. I need to find out more about Lilith._ You close the door behind you. "I brought teething rings!"

"Thanks, nii-san!" Chisuke says.

"You're welcome." You shout up the stairs,"Dad, Kiyome! I'll be in my room!"

The first thing you do is pull out your laptop and search for any information about Lilith. She's the mother of all monsters. There's a bunch of information on feminism and sexuality with it but that's not important. After a while, you find an e-book that looks promising. _Beyond the Gates: A Guide to the Occult_ You buy it and start skimming. The sound of footsteps by your door has you switching tabs in a millisecond. "(Y/n)?" your dad says standing by the doorframe.

"Dad!" You get up and go in for a hug, only to pull back at the last second. "Can I...?" Your arms hover around him. He pulls you into a hug and you stand like that for a while. It's nice.

"Have a good rest." he says after pulling away.

"You too." You watch him walk down the hall and return to what you were doing. _Chapter 46: Raising Hell- Reverse Summonings and Such_ You found something. Your eyes run over the pages. _In order to get in contact with a progenitor, one must collect thirteen drops of catching fluid(ex: venom of vampires, venom werewolves, incubus/succubus saliva, etc.) and set a candle in the north, south, east, and west. These candles must be lit by burning wisteria that has been in contact with the sun for a fortnight. Once all of these have been completed, one must say the name of the progenitor desired and drink the catching fluid within the same minute._ ** _Warning: DO NOT LET THE CANDLES GO OUT! Failure to do so will result in death. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT A MIXED PROGENITOR. Any amount of catching fluid beyond thirteen drops may trigger an allergic reaction. Death will follow._**

 _...that's...I'll only do it if I have to...but getting the ingredients wouldn't hurt. It's not like I'd actually risk my life over something so dumb. Especially, since, I have people I care about._ You fall asleep thinking about the ritual. Something about it rubs you the wrong way. It's how quickly you found it. You just started looking Lilith up and got the answers. It's too convenient. _Almost like, someone wanted me to do the ritual._ Unfortunately, you're too tired to follow up on that train of thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/n): /exists\  
> Reiji: You may not know it but you're mine now.


	16. By

Youwake up feeling off. You're missing something. What'd you even dream about? You don't remember. It's not important. Dreams never are.

You go through your morning rituals mindlessly and force yourself not to think about yesterday. _How soft his-. Shut up brain!_

You resist the urge to lean over and fall down the steps and realize you're the first one awake. _I...could make breakfast. It's not like I have anything to do anyways._ You turn on the stove and prepare to make something simple. You end up making egg and cheese omelets, pancakes from scratch, bacon, and hot chocolate coffee. _I honestly don't know how this happened._ As if summoned, Kiyome, Chisuke, and your dad descend. Chisuke is gnawing on a bright red teething ring in your dad's arms. "Breakfast smells good!" your dad says. He seems at ease. _For the moment._ You can't help thinking. _Until I inevitably fuck up._

"When'd you buy pancake mix?" Kiyome asks.

"I didn't." you reply.

"You sure you aren't a Kaa-san?" Chisuke asks.

"Cooking is a gender neutral activity and so is starving." you reply not missing a beat. "You want me to take that food back?"

"Where'd you get that idea Chisuke-chan?" Kiyome asks him.

"On TV, the kaa-san always makes the food." he replies.

"What type of heteronormative crap do you have on the TV?" you ask.

"Hetero-?" your dad asks.

"You know, the gender roles from the 50's and the "(Y/n), I didn't know you were gay?! You don't act like it!" Like I'm supposed to act a certain way because of my sexuality." you answer. Everyone is staring at you. "What?"

"You're gay?!"

"You didn't know?!"

"How could I?"

"I had a crush on Tom Holland!"

"Everyone has a crush on Tom Holland!"

"I brought my ex-boyfriend home to meet you!"

"I didn't know that. I thought he was going to help you study."

"Yeah, we "studied" alright. We "studied" hard." You blush at the memory. _He was a good fuck at least._

"I did not need to know that!"

"None of us did." Kiyome adds.

"What's studying?" Chisuke asks.

"You'll find out when you're older." Kiyome replies, saving you and your dad from fumbling for an answer.

"I'm gonna be the best study-er ever!" Chisuke says and you don't know whether to laugh or cry.

"Speaking of studying, are there any schools you want to go to (Y/n)?" Kiyome asks. _I forgot school was a thing._

"I wasn't really thinking about that." you scratch the back of your head.

"It's fine. We can enroll you in Seirei Academy. It's close and it has a night program." Kiyome says. _I get the feeling I'm already enrolled._ "You start tomorrow." _Called it._

"Okay. Does it have a uniform?" you ask. _I hope not._

"Nope."

"Great. Now I can bring more weapons with me!"

"You know you don't have to bring so many. There aren't any vampires in the area." your dad suggests.

"I know, I was the one who made sure of that. I just feel more comfortable being armed." you reply.

"Nii-san, you're already armed. Two armed." Chisuke says.

"I'm so proud!" Kiyome says.

"I don't know if that was a pun or if you just don't know but either way, I'm disappointed." you reply.

"I think he just wanted to see how it would pancake out." Kiyome taunts.

"Why." is all you can say.

"Your reaction is only egging her on." your dad joins in.

"You're all dead to me." you state.

"You're bacon my heart."

"I'll grits my teeth and take the pain of your words."

"I really thought you were batter-. Shit! I meant butter-! Fuck! Better! I thought you all were better than this." you fumble with your words.

"Not in front of the child!" Kiyome dramatically gasps and puts her hands over Chisuke's ears.

"His first word was fuck. I think we're good." is your answer to that.

"(Y/n), does Shin know you're switching schools?" your dad asks.

"I'm gonna tell him." you reply. You pull out your phone and hold it to your ear. "Right now." You wait but after a while it goes to voicemail. _Weird. He normally picks up. I'll try again later._ "I'll tell him later."

"Thanks again for the breakfast." your dad says because he's the only one in this whole damn house with manners.

"You're welcome I guess." is your response.

"It's better than toast." Kiyome adds.

"Everything's better than fucking toast." you reply.

"Brat. You have to meet with the principal to fill out the transfer paperwork at 5pm." Kiyome states. She tells you the address to type into your phone.

"I'll leave around 3:30." you say. You give Chisuke a head pat and an awkward hug to your dad. You head back to your room. There's more research to be done. You draw the sigils over and over until you can perfect it. _I can get a venom sample from_ ** _him_** _. I could probably keep him unconscious long enough to get 13 drops._

You dial the number you deleted from your phone but not from your brain. "Hey _babe_ , finally ready to give me a chance."

"I want to meet up. We'll see what happens." you reply coldly.

"I still can't believe you chose-!"

"7pm Mizumoto Park. This is your only chance." You end the call and prepare the drugs to put him to sleep and have him produce more venom. _Best not to let my guard down._ You pack your weapons and pull on a hoodie. You still have two hours. You call Shin again but he still doesn't pick up. _Maybe I should go check on him after._ You scroll through Wattpad and groan. Nothing's updated. _The one time I actually have free time and decide not to train._

You lay back and sigh. What else can you do? _Shin did recommend that game to me._ The ring of your phone breaks you out of your thoughts. You pick it up. Shin's name appears on the screen. You answer. "Hey Shin, why didn't you pick up before? Did something come up?"

"...yeah. Hey, you remember Death Note, right?"

"Yeah-."

"Of course you do. It's your favorite show! You really liked that Yotsuba Arc and teased me about my crush on Matsu-chan." _Shin knows me better than that and he denied having a crush on Matsuda. Unless..._

"You do know that not every conversation we have has to start with Death Note." _Let's see_

"It's such an _interesting_ subject though. I'd rate _it 7/10_." _Is that how much danger he's in or how hard it'll be for me to rescue him?_

"Well, I'll see you around. Please pick up next time I call."

"Wait...I need to see you!"

"I have a full day and you have night school. Tomorrow at 12?"

"I'll meet you at the skatepark." You hang up and slam your head into the wall. _Why the fuck is this shit happening to me?! I'm a good person! Well...at least it can't get worse._

You eat those words when that idiot vampire you spared is your new school guide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/n) would be the type of guy who invites all of his exes to his funeral so they can let him down one last time.


	17. Apparently

"Since all the paperwork is done, I'd like to ask you a few questions." she says.

"Yeah?" you reply.

"Why are you transferring from," she looks at the papers you filled out. "Ryoutei Academy?! You're honestly downgrading."

You've prepared for this question. "There're some people who won't leave me alone and Ryoutei hasn't done anything about it."

"Of course, they haven't." she responds with a tone that says there's a story behind that comment. "You've expressed interest in our night program, why's that?"

"I have an irregular sleep schedule."

"Well, everything seems to be in order. We'll have your transcript transferred within a week. Let me be the first to welcome you to Seirei Academy." She gives you a temporary student ID and waves you out of her office. You check the time on your phone. 6:15 _That's enough time to get there._ Thankfully you avoid anyone who might pester you(Akio). You sit down on a park bench and toss your phone in your hands. _I hope Shin's okay._

A pair of hands slips over your head. You flip him over your shoulder. "Tsukinami." you hiss.

"(Y/n)!" he says sliding an arm around your shoulders. When he sniffs, you stab him with the syringe. "Really? I-." You poke him to make sure he's unconscious. He falls off the bench. You lean over him with a small bottle and pry his jaw open. You bring the bottle under one of his fangs and watch the venom fill it. It's white with a hint of purple. It's different from the other types of venom you've seen. Usually they're varying shades of black. You pull the full bottle away but manage to scrape your hand on his sharp teeth. _I'm gonna have to wash my hands so hard after this._

You rush home from the park and explain away the lateness by saying the paperwork took longer than you thought. They believe you. There's no reason for them not to. You close the door to your room and start writing on the floor. You go through what each sigil means mentally as you draw them out. _Protection. Transfer. Animation. Control._

Your wrist aches from drawing so many of them. Someone knocks on your door and snaps you out of it. _Why am I-? I thought I told myself I would only do this if I_ ** _had_** _to._ There's another knock. You trip over your own legs and reach the door. You only pull it open wide enough to have your face peek out. Your dad stands on the other side. "Hey...you doing okay?" he asks.

"What do you mean?" _Why wouldn't I-? Right._

"You've been isolating yourself."

"No, I-."

"You leave here for long amounts of time and when you're here the majority of your time is spent in your room. Breakfast was the longest I've seen you since you came here."

"I-!"

"Is there something I don't know about?"

"...yes."

"Do you want to tell me?"

"Not really...but I have to. Shin was kidnapped and my only lead is the skatepark and I can't deal with all this happening at once. _I'm so damn stressed by everything that's happened and I can't help but worry about everyone and I don't want to stress anyone out!_ " You grab the sides of your head and your breath quickens. Your dad pulls you into a hug.

"You're allowed to, you should tell me these things. I'm your father, if you have problems you can talk about them with me."

"I didn't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden. You can talk to us. Kiyome and I, we're here for you. You don't have to shoulder all this on your own." He rubs your back in a soothing pattern.

"I know that but I don't feel like that. Why is it so hard for me?"

"I blame your mother. She...didn't let you have a normal childhood. I'm honestly surprised you turned out so well, with all the shit she put you through."

"I turned out this way because I have a dad who cares."

Your dad pulls back. "I love you."

"Love you, too dad."

"You wanna tell me what you did in your room?"

"Eventually, I will. I'll tell you soon."

"I don't like that you're keeping these big secrets, but I won't push you."

"...Thanks."

"Dinner's in the fridge if you're hungry."

"Okay." That ends your conversation. Your dad awkwardly lingers for a few seconds before walking away with a small wave. _I should do something for Dad when all of this is over. We could go visit the Antarctic. He loves the cold and penguins. I, personally, don't see the allure with their beady eyes._

You stare at your room. Your hand shakes ever so slightly. It feels empty. Some unknown force urges you to continue. You read through the rest of the ritual. It requires you to ingest the venom. You internally retch. The problem is first blood venom isn't meant to turn people. Undiluted, it will kill you. _I'd have to spread out doses of it...it's really not worth it. Why do I keep thinking about it? I'll just keep the venom on me just in case._

You decide to spend the rest of the evening honing your skills. _I have to be in top condition for tomorrow._

You fall asleep.

_It's dark. You can't see anything. You take a step and a lilac flame bursts to life along the newly illuminated wall. Something urges you forward. You take a few steps forward. Another flame lights the way._ _ Forward is the only way to go. _ _You turn around and try to head in the opposite direction. You end up walking through the dark. The lilac flames reduced to nothing but a speck in the background._ _ You're going in the wrong direction! _ _Eventually, you hit a wall. You feel around for anything to indicate a door. You find a slight indentation and grab it. You twist it, pull it, push it, anything to make it open. You knock the wall to see if it's hollow. The sound it makes says it is. You kick the door until it crumbles. Light trickles through the entryway. You step in. The room has moonlight coming in from an unknown source. The light reveals a room overtaken by plants. You recognize those plants as Oleander, Aconitum, Belladonna, Lily of the Valley and Azaleas. All alluring but deadly flowers. You endeavor to watch your step. Some fancy footwork brings you to the foot of the statue. You observe the statue. No matter how intensely you stare, the only impression you get is of a beautiful woman. You touch one of the chains. It jumps into your hand. Something tells you to unchain the statue. You touch the other chains until your hands are full of them and only one remains. "Arise and awaken, the great progenitor, mother of all,-."_

"Wake up! Dad said wake up!" You blink the sleep out of your eyes and get the feeling that you're forgetting something. _What did I dream about yesterday?...Probably not important._

"I'm up! You can stop now." you reply. You feel like you didn't get any sleep.

"Okayyyyyy." Chisuke whines. You check the time. 11:24. _I'll get breakfast when I get back._ You grab your weapons and prepare for a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think kidnapped Shin? There are so many vampires that could've done it. I'd love to see your guesses.


	18. My Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while because in the middle I had a great idea for a demon slayer gn!reader insert(I even drew the reader's outfit) and before I knew it I was a thousand words in and I'm still not done with the intro.

You are at the door with your dad. "Be safe." he says. "And I'll come if you call."

"Thanks. I will." you reply and head out. You have your scarf wrapped around your neck. You remember when you got it enchanted. _It was like pulling teeth, convincing her to do it._ It's supposed to protect you in battle. You used to wear it everyday but since you stopped going to Ryoutei, you haven't felt the need. Now you do. You sigh. _Some vampire fucks really thought today was the perfect day to die._

Before you know it, you're at the skatepark. You lean against a gate and check your phone. 11:58. You pull off your glasses and scan the environment. It won't matter if a vampire sees your eyes. _They're all gonna die anyway._ You sniff the air and find the putrid scent of recently turned vampires. _Why would-? Doesn't matter._ Shin approaches you. "It's been too long, man!" _What are they trying to do?_

"Yeah, I haven't seen you in forever!" you force anything but suspicion into your tone and try to come off as relaxed instead of tense. Then you grab Shin and run towards a populated area. Several vampires try to attack you but you take care of them. The rest stand at the entrance. The leader stands slightly in front of the rest. She snarls at you.

"(L/n)! You took everything from me!" she shouts.

"I don't even know you." you cut in. "But you kidnapped my best friend so you'll die." _She does look vaguely familiar._

"You killed my husband!" She lunges at you and dodges when you swing a dagger at her. You lean backwards and dodge when she swings at you. "Right in front of me!" Another swing. "You didn't give him a chance!" _Wait..._

"Mikami?"

"So you do remember!"

"Your _husband_ nearly drained your children of their blood and was going to do the same to you." You grab her arms and force her to the ground. "You were lucky to live but if this is how you react when someone saves your pathetic life, the children should've lived in your place." You pull out a gun and shoot. You avoid the blood splatter and move away from her corpse. _Shit like this is why I hate vampires. A human gets turned and resists the thirst until it gets turned on someone they love. Her life was ruined and she blamed the only person she could take it out on._ The rest of the vampires are quick work for you and Shin. _Stories like hers are common._

"How'd you get caught by these? They're like a 3." you ask. "4 if we're being generous."

"I-I can't remember. One moment, I was in school. The next I was tied up in their base. I thought one of them had that power or something." he answers. _That means the person who did this is still out there._ "What's on your skin?" He points are your sleeve. You look at where he's pointing. The sleeve of your hoodie is torn revealing markings on your skin. You recognize those markings. You made them in your bedroom yesterday. _That's...concerning. Not I forgot my keys concerning but I might go to sleep and not wake up concerning._

"I don't remember putting those there." you say instead of answering because unlike protagonists, you _communicate_. You take a step and freeze. You sense someone you've met before. You resist the urge to turn around and instead subtly urge Shin to go inside the nearest store. "Let's get something to eat. I'm starving." You immediately grab two bags of pizza potato chips and pay for them.

You munch on them as you wait for Shin to choose something. _Does he even have money on him? He said he was at school...he never brings more than a couple hundred yen._ He approaches with an armful of stuff. "(Y/n), won't you be my sugar daddy?" he says in falsetto and flutters his lashes.

"I'll pay for your stuff if you promise to **never** do that again." you reply with a shudder.

"I forgot, the only one you want calling you 'daddy' has," Shin puts his fingers up to mine fangs. You can't stop the blush that rises.

"Have fun paying for all that shit." You turn to the door and start walking away.

"No wait! (Y/n)! My poor ass can't pay for all this!" You're about to turn around when your eyes catch on a figure across the street. People walk past him but he stays still as a statue. Unaffected by the crowd passing by. _Can't any of these vampires take rejection?_ He makes eye contact with you but doesn't make any moves to approach. _I'll just ignore him._ Shin turns and looks in the same direction as you. He sucks in a breath. "You wanna go?"

"I'll be fine...let's just get your food and leave before he decides to get closer." You pay for Shin's stuff in silence.

"You think he was the one who...?"

You push open the door and walk out of the store. "No. He's an ass but he's not like that." You start walking and you're made painfully aware of him following the both of you.

"You know him best I guess." _Can't he take the fucking hint?!_

"Excuse me for a second."

"Wait! You-!" You dash in his direction. "Never mind then." You stand in front of him and meet his eyes.

"Well, you gonna say anything?" you ask him.

"Let's...get back together. Being apart...is the one pain that I can't take." he responds.

"Why? So I can experience the raging dumpster fire that was our relationship for a second time? No thanks." you reply. _This is incredibly public._ Your eye catches on a nearby clothing store. "Let's not do this here." You lead him and Shin inside and towards the men's suits section. _No one ever comes here._ "Okay. Talk."

"...Does he have to be here?"

"You're lucky I'm even listening to you Mukami."

"Just pretend I'm not here." Shin says and then engages in open-mouth chewing.

"(Y/n)-san, I miss you." Shin bites with a hard CRUNCH. Mukami pauses to glare at him. "Letting you go was the worst mistake I ever made." CRUNCH "Let's try again." CRUNCH "I'll be better this time!"

"What we had, it wasn't healthy. You need a therapist and someone with better patience to deal with your issues. I can't be that person." you reply.

"So if I fix myself..."

"If you're gonna try to fix these underlying issues, do it for yourself. It's not-. You shouldn't base your recovery on me." You turn away. "I **left** you."

"I forgive you."

"You fucking what?!" you yell.

"I thought-."

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you but that doesn't mean you can take advantage of my emotions to fool me into dating you again. Our relationship was fucking toxic and you think I haven't learned your tricks by now!"

"But I-."

"You always act so goddamn innocent and make me feel guilty for every goddamn thing to the point where if I didn't apologize for every inane thing, I got physically sick! And you would always smile and say "I forgive you." like you're a fucking saint!"

"You _left_ me. If you cared, why didn't you _stay_?"

"At what point am I allowed to care about myself, huh? I spent our entire relationship caring about you and you couldn't even spend half caring about me. I was sick of how you treated me and I'm not obligated to stay in a relationship with a gaslighter. Excuse me for putting myself first when you never would."

"I'll get better! Just...please don't cut me out of your life!"

"Leave."

"But you-."

" **Leave**." You wait until you can no longer sense him to sink against the wall and let tears fall. _Seeing him again made me miss our old relationship...it's not worth it to get so worked up over it...but I never thought I'd be able to face him without breaking down. I feel...better than I have in a long time. So...why am I crying? Is this the legendary happy cry? I thought it didn't exist._ Shin rubs your back consolingly as you draw in a shaky breath.

"You've been really stressed lately. And my kidnapping made things worse." Shin asks.

"S'not your fault. Not like you asked to be kidnapped." you reply wiping at tear trails.

"You deserve this totally manly cry sesh." You glare at him but he's conveniently turned away from you. "I can feel your glare, so I know you think I said something stupid."

"Hey Shin, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"Slap me next time I try to date someone."


	19. Is A Big

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a flashback chapter.

_I can't believe Shin broke all the knives I gave him. And I can't give him any more because I can't get anymore because HS decided now was the best time to regulate weapons._ "So here I am, in Bumfuck, MiddleOfNowheresville trying to find someone who'll sell a teenager knives with no questions!" you rant. "And it's cold as balls out here!" _Not like anyone would hear me, I'm in the middle of nowhere!_

"...why do you need knives?" a male voice asks. _There was someone._

"None of your business." you reply. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Buying knives."

"Where do you get them?" _Probably doesn't have what I'm looking for, but it's worth a shot._ He walks closer to you. "Haven't you heard of personal space? It's this novel invention. Almost as groundbreaking as the shovel." Sarcasm coats your every word.

"Why...do you need knives?"

"Reasons." _As much as I want to tell this guy to piss off, he's my best shot at getting what I'm looking for._ "You gonna take me th-?"

"Yes! Follow me." He grabs your arm and you yank it from his grip.

"I can follow without you grabbing me." you hiss. He continues walking without a word. Eventually, you come across a painfully normal building. He leads you to the back.

"Why do you need knives?" he asks slowly.

"To chop up bastards like you." you reply. He shudders in fear and **absolutely nothing else**.

"Follow me."

"The fuck else am I gonna do?" you mutter. You watch him push random bricks in the wall. The wall shudders before revealing an entryway. He grabs your hand and yanks you through. You fall into his chest. "Stop fucking grabbing me!" The entrance closes behind the both of you leaving you in total darkness. You pull out your phone and push up the the thumb of one of your gloves to turn on your phone's flashlight. _This better be close, my battery's on 42 and it's fucking cold!_

"It's...this way." He reaches for your arm but your glare stops him. You hear fire crackle and the rush of water but can't see anything. After a while, your phone dies.

"Shit." You squint into the darkness.

"...You need to hold my hand."

"Yeah, I know that." You grab his wrist to spite him. He drags you into ice cold water to spite you. "Fuck! Shit! C-c-cold!" You let go of him and flail for a few seconds. He grabs your arm and pulls you through the water as it laps at your chest. Eventually you both make it to dry land.

He breaks the silence with a "It's a little further." He leads you to a room lit by torchlight. There's a bored looking man sitting at the far end of the room. The dreadlocks you know he has are covered by a floppy witch's hat.

"Derrick?"

"(Y/n)?" the man in a witch hat responds.

"I thought you were in the USA."

"I can only fake my death so many times before someone catches on. This guy tried to kill me like five times." He holds up five fingers to emphasize his point.

"You know each other?" the other male in the room asks.

"I know a lot of people." is Derrick's response.

"Which is weird considering how many times you have to fake your death." you add.

"I actually think I'm good now actually."

"Really?" Last you checked, he was on the run from several different covens.

"Yeah. The witches I pissed off tried to put a curse on me with my dead name. Did not work well for them. They won't be chasing me anymore." he answers. "They were all like "Witch Dorathea Rowena Redleaf, you will rue the day...!" and then they died. It was hilarious!"

"Oh! I came here for a reason. You got any of those "special" knives?" you ask.

"Yeah!" he slams a pack down onto a counter. "That'll be 500,000 yen." When you hear the price, you choke.

After you stop coughing, you say, "We both know I don't have that fucking money on me."

"I could be persuaded to lower the price." he says innocently.

"If I'm doing what I think I am, I better get the knives for goddamn free."

"I'll get the bowl." he replies and vanishes behind some wall.

"What are you doing?" the one who lead you asks. _I'll have to tell him so he doesn't freak out._

"I'm paying him in blood."

"I need blood freely given for most of my charms, hexes, and enchantments. For some reason (Y/n)'s is more potent anyone else's." Derrick says as he appears in the center of the room. You hold your bleeding arm over the bowl. You start to feel faint from blood loss.

"It's cause I'm the main character. That's why." you reply.

"Uh huh." Derrick replies after a while.

"It's true. In about two years from now, all the guys'll be fighting over me."

"Sure."

"I'll have a reverse harem."

"You say the dumbest things when you're low on blood...Why bother? You're not gonna remember any of this anyway."

"The author will probably make multiple endings."

"Does he normally...?"

"Don't worry about it. He'll pass out in three, two-."

You wake up dizzy and take an embarrassing amount of time figuring out where you are. You blink away the spots in your vision and sit up. Your head throbs in protest. "(Y/n), you're awake."

"I paid. Now gimme the knives."

"Drink this first." He shoves a potion bottle in your face. You uncork it. It smells like home. It reminds you of sipping hot chocolate on a cold rainy day and falling asleep on the couch next to your dad(not that it happens anymore, you're fifteen now). You drink it and it tastes like safety. "Taste good?" You nod. "If a potion taste like piss, you're not brewing it correctly." You empty the bottle. "Your boyfriend is waiting for you."

"My what?!"

"I said your friend is waiting for you."

"That's not what you said."

"But it is."

"It's really not."

"But that's what I said."

"You said-!" you start.

"What did I say?" he cuts you off. _It's a trap._

"Whatever." You grab the bundle of knives and walk away into the main room. The other guy is standing there.

"I'll show you both out." Derrick leads the both of you to a tunnel. "This tunnel only allows you to go outside. You can't use it to get in." You start walking when Derrick adds, "Come back soon (Y/n)!"

The walk out is shorter than the walk in. You turn to your escort. "Thanks for showing me this..." You trail off waiting for him to supply a name.

"Mukami. Azusa Mukami." he supplies.

"(L/n) (Y/n). See you around."

(Flashback: Meeting Azusa: Complete!)


	20. Fuck you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: This story almost died at the very beginning. Wattpad wouldn't save the first chapter and I had to redo it three times!

"You never told me where those markings came from." Shin says.

"I guess I didn't. I made these marks." _It's the only explanation._

"Didn't you-?" He's cut off by the ringing of your phone. You pull it out of your pocket and glance at the caller id. _Dad._ You pick up.

"Hey, dad."

"Is everything okay? Do you-?" His worry carries through the phone.

"I'm fine. Shin's fine. Everything went **fine**. I'm just walking Shin home and then I'll be back."

"Okay." You hear a crash through the phone.

"Get back here!" Kiyome shouts.

"Pants are for the weak!" Chisuke yells back.

"I'll call you back." You hear a "You'll wear pants even if I have to tape you down to get them on!" before the call cuts off.

"If we hurry, I won't have to see Himiko." you tell Shin and quicken your pace.

"She's not that bad." Shin replies as he catches up to you.

"Are we talking about the same person?!"

"You don't live with her."

"And I thank the universe everyday for that!"

"She's different when she's at home."

"I'm sure her psychopathy is just a front to hide how insecure she is." you say sarcastically.

"Nope, she's fucking nuts. She cares though."

"Okay. She hates me though."

"Oh yeah. With a passion. Even I don't know why."

"I don't care enough to find out."

"Wait! We were talking about those markings."

"Were we?" you ask.

"Yes." Shin replies uncharacteristically serious.

You sigh. "I've been looking up ways to get stronger."

"Oh...I guess I should work on getting stronger too." Shin rubs the back of his head.

"I bet you wish you knew about this before you decided to be friends."

"Nah. I knew shit like this would happen. You have strong main character vibes."

"Though I am great, you'd make a better main character."

"Why d'ya say that?"

"Something about you makes the universe want to make you it's bitch." Shin chokes at your admission. "I'm just saying."

"I'll be sure to bring that up when you get kidnapped."

"Well that's never happening."

"I'll remember this conversation." You walk up to the door and knock. The door slides open to reveal Shin's dad.

"Hey Shin's dad, Shin is here." You grab Shin and push him through the doorway. You turn around and get a grand total of five steps before his dad calls out to you.

"Thank you, for saving my son." he says his voice tight with emotion. "You can call me Akio-san y'know?"

"Your name reminds me of a delusional cockblocker." You walk away before he can say anything else. The streets are filling with people.

You feel **it** again. The feeling that someone's watching you. You subtly check your surroundings and find nothing. No one seems to be watching you specifically. It has you on edge. The feeling persists all the way back home. You only relax when the door is locked behind you. "I'm back!" you announce. Chisuke launches himself at you.

"Tell that evil woman that I don't need fucking pants!" Chisuke says as he grabs your arm. _Fucking pants. Don't laugh! Don't laugh!_ Kiyome gives you a look that says that this is all your fault.

"What?" you ask. _Be serious._ "He's right. He doesn't need _fucking pants._ " Just as you see the joy rise on Chisuke's face, you add. "He does need regular pants though." His betrayed face. The duct tape suspenders. _You mustn't laugh! You mustn't!_ You can't hold back your obnoxious chortles.

"Ha ha." Kiyome says as your laughter causes you to roll on the floor.

"Nii-san...why?" You can't help it, you laugh harder. When you stop laughing, your ribs hurt.

"Glad to see you're happy." her tone is sardonic but she can't keep the smile off of her face.

"We're playing UNO." your dad says.

"Does Chisuke even know how to play? Does Kiyome?" you ask.

"Who doesn't know how to play UNO?"  
"Tou-san taught me!"

"I brought the pack with plus fives and the card that forces you to pick up until you get a certain color and skips your turn! Who's ready to draw thirty?" your dad adds.

"Shouldn't they play something more..." It takes a while to find the right word. "Vanilla?" is the word you settle on.

"Nope. We're playing this UNO." You all sit down and wait for your dad to deal the cards. "So, who took-?" Your dad starts as he shuffles the cards.

You cut him off. "It was one of the people I saved. She turned and blamed me. Shin's fine now."

"What happened to Shin?! Is he okay?!" Chisuke asks.

"He's fine." you repeat. _Why's he so concerned?_

"Good. Cause he has the prettiest eyes. It's the color of bee vomit."

You hold back your chuckles and start recording. "What else did you like about Shin?"

"His hair looks like that melty brown thing he gives me sometimes and he's always nice and he's smart and he's really pretty! If I married someone I want it to be Shin!" _Karma is so so sweet._

You send the video to Shin with a text saying "Remember when you told Ayato, I called him a bitch?". Then, you pick up your cards. _Great. I only have numbers._ "Are we doing jump ins?" _Please say yes._

"Sure." your dad responds. After Kiyome puts her card down you put a third of your deck down.

"Hey! It was my turn!" Chisuke whines.

"No mercy." is your reply. Your dad goes and you put down a card. He puts down another card and you put down two. _Three threes left. A red, blue, and yellow._ He puts down a green nine. Chisuke slaps a handful of nines down. The top nine is red. Just as you're about to put your cards down Kiyome puts down a red flip card.

"It has to be the same number Kiyome." your dad says. Kiyome withdraws her card and picks up two. Then, your dad, the asshole, puts down another red nine. You glare at him and he smirks at you. _He knew damn well what he was doing._ Kiyome puts her flip card down and everyone turns their cards to the dark side. You have a pink skip along with plus fives. While everyone question what it means if the flip card was a skip everyone card, you play your skip everyone card. Then, you put both of your plus fives on top with an "UNO out."

The game continues and Chisuke takes second place by adding three draw fives to what your dad has to pick up. _That's twenty-five extra cards. How's he gonna win with that?_ Kiyome puts down a draw until you get a color card but your dad does the same. The picks up a sizable stack of cards and your dad puts the rest of his draw-color cards. He proceeds to pull off a skip reverse combo that leaves him with seven cards. Kiyome puts down a stack of fives and your dad puts down four eights. Kiyome puts down a draw two and so does your dad. Kiyome puts another one down and your dad does the same.Kiyome doesn't bother picking up the cards.

"You win." she grumbles. That sets the tone for the following rounds. Chisuke and you both manage to get first place a majority of the time and Kiyome maintains her last place. Your dad alternates between second and third place. Your stomach makes your hunger known to everyone with a growl. You get up and pull some rice and chicken out of the fridge. You eat it cold as you watch what might be Kiyome getting second place. She places her last card down and says, "Finally! I beat you!"

"Congrats." your dad replies with about as much enthusiasm as a dead hamster. _He really did not want Kiyome to win._

"You thought I'd stay last forever but now I'm second!"

"It won't be that way next round." You feel the rumble of your dad's voice as you lean against him. Your eyes slide shut and before you know it, you're dreaming.

_You're in the same room but this time the flowers have parted revealing a safe path to the statue. Chains lie on the floor. Those are the ones you pulled off the statue before. The chains are brittle and covered in rust. In some places, the plants appear to tear them apart. You approach the statue and wonder if you should be doing this._ _ It's too late to be having second thoughts. _ _You reach for the last chain. Instead of jumping into your hands, it wraps around your wrist and pulls you towards the statue. The other end of the chain is wrapped around the statue's wrist. You resist the pull of the chain and it shatters in a shower of glowing blue rose petals. Nothing else happens. You sit down at the foot of the statue and glance back ever so often to see nothing happen._

_A hand rests on your shoulder and the voice sounds like whispers and shouts. You don't understand a word the voice utters. You're almost afraid to look behind you. You turn and stare into empty marble eyes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue roses symbolize mystery or attaining the impossible. What could that mean for reader?


	21. To me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a special chapter. It's exactly 2020 words. It's also the last chapter in this arc. That's right I'm doing arcs. Makes my life easier.

You sit up on your bed with a gasp. You get the feeling that you did something you shouldn't have. You unclench your fists and something hits your bedroom floor. You squint at it in the darkness but can't discern what it is. It looks like it could be a pen or a pencil. You grab it. _Definitely a pen. I didn't go to sleep with a pen._ You glance at your forearms. _More markings...concerning. But not concerning enough for me to lose sleep over it._ You're tired, okay. You lay back down and sleep.

_You stare at the statue. It stares unblinking at you. It's hair is curlier and held back by a headscarf. It's wearing more modern clothes with actual shoes this time._ _ "I know you're alive. What are you doing to me?" _ _The statue doesn't respond._ _ "I'm an idiot. Fucking talking to a statue." _

_ "You're an idiot but not for that reason." _ _You almost flinch in surprise._ _ "There was a path. With torches. And you chose to go in the opposite direction. Even when you hit a wall, you still decided to be purposefully contrary and break it down." _

_ "I don't have to explain myself to you." _

_ "Do you know what you've done?!"  _ _You blink at her._ _ "Of course you don't, you're a mortal." _

_ "You gonna tell me what I did?" _

_ "I suppose I should thank you." _ _She turns towards you and grimaces._ _ "I was tricked by my proxy. You don't know what that is, do you?" _

_ "You're gonna tell me anyway." _

_ "A few millennia spent here and suddenly no mortal knows how to respect someone of my stature. Where was I...? My proxy was supposed to manage all those deals with mortals. A being such as I couldn't dream of such things! That damned thing tricked me. I gave him a sliver of my power and he used it to tear my arm o _ _ f _ _ f and create monsters. My power was perverted to make those things. When I confronted him, he turned me into a statue and forbid anyone from speaking my name. Then, he made a death trap for anyone who happened to search for me." _

_ "And you called me a fucking idiot for not going into the death trap?!" _

_ "Anyways, you are going to kill a few of those beasts for me." _

_ "Why would I do that?" _

_ "When you do, you will get the favor you seek." _

_ "I fucking freed you. You already owe me!" _

_ "I owe you nothing."  _ _Your eye lands on one of the discarded chains. You pick it up and walk towards her._ _ "Fine. You may name your favor and I may grant it." _

_ "Will. You will do it. Or you'll spend the rest of your life as a statue. You're gonna give me enough power to kill the vampire king." _ _You watch her stone face contort as she thinks about it._

_ "Those terms are agreeable. Sadly, I must meet you outside of a dream in order to give you this. I do not expect you to be able to do so quickly. You must ingest venom of a first blood. Those are so hard to come by." _

_ "You'll give me the power as soon as I do." _

_"Yes."_  
" _Wake up!_ _Wake up!_ Wake up!" Chisuke shouts in your ear.

"Are you trying to make me deaf?" you grumble as you shove at him.

"I would never!" he replies in a loud overdramatized tone.

"Right." you say unconvinced. You glance at the time. _8:52_ the clock reads. _Did I really sleep through the entire day? I have an hour before I have to go to night school._ "Why couldn't you wake me up earlier?!" you groan. "I wanted to check on Shin before I left."

"Can I come?!" Chisuke asks.

"If you woke me up earlier, you could've." You pull a hoodie over your shirt and consider if you could pass your pajama pants off as regular ones. You take them off and grab a pair of jeans you find on the floor. The scarf, you wear because it's getting cold. You're in the middle of hiding your weapons on your body when Chisuke launches himself at your back.

"Please!" he wails. You don't cut yourself with the dagger because you're a professional, but it's a near thing.

"No." you tell him as you jump out of window. The force you use causes the window to slam shut behind you. You put on your helmet and jump on your bike. _It's been a while since I've ridden?/rode? this. Maybe I should've worn a jacket._

The scenery blurs as you drive. Nothing but the howls of the wind and your thoughts to keep you company. _Let's just not think for a while._ _Human. Have you acquired the-?_ _This is the song that never ends._ _I am speaking to-!_ _Yes, it goes on and on, my friends. Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, And they'll continue singing it forever just because..._ _Cease this-!_ _This is the song that never ends. Yes, it goes on and on, my friends. Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was, And they'll continue singing it forever just because..._

You drown out her voice with the song that never ends. You are **not** dealing with that shit right before school. The school comes into view. You lock up your bike and walk in. A familiar face holds up a sign with your name on it. _Fuck my life._ It's that idiot who couldn't even run away properly. _Why does life hate me so much?!_ "You're the new student?!" they ask looking way too happy about this.

"Yes." you grit your teeth. This isn't a good start and you feel like it'll only get worse.

"Let me show you around." They walk around the school and chatter on about the facilities. "And this is where the vampires hang out." That catches your attention.

"Vampires?" you ask.

"Yeah. It took me a while to figure it out but when **_she_** turned me, it was hard to ignore the vibes they gave off." they say uncharacteristically serious. "But you'll get rid off them right?" _That killed any hope that they were even remotely competent._

"I only kill vampires if they're a danger to those around them." you reply. "Draws suspicion otherwise."

"Oh."

"Why do you think I let you go? Every hunter has their own code that they follow. If it was anyone else you'd be dead."

"Thank you for letting me live!" they chirp. _That was a strong mood swing._

"You can thank me by not outing yourself. You can live off human food so **no one should know**."

"G-got it." They check the time and grab your wrist as they start to run. "I took too much time! We were supposed to be back outside four minutes ago!"

"What's your name?" It's one step from asking, _What do you identify as?_

"Aoyagi Rin! You're (L/n) (Y/n), right?"

"No, I'm just another new student." you snark.

"Fine. Be that way. Everyone else is." _No. I am not being friends with someone because I feel bad for them._ They pout and their eyes glisten with unshed tears. _Remember how well that worked with Azusa and Shin and Yui._ You try to steel yourself but end up giving in.

"I'm...sorry." you force your apology out. "Let's be friends." A strained smile appears on your face. _I'm gonna regret this very soon aren't I? Is insta-regret a thing? Feels like it could be. Maybe I can sell it._

"Really?! It's been a while since I had any friends." You can't even regret what you said. They look so happy. _Why do I attract losers?_

"Why can't we just stay inside?"

"School policy. No students are allowed inside the school before school hours. You were an exception because night school has shorter hours." Someone attempts to put an arm over Aoyagi-san's shoulder but you pull Rin away and they fall into your side.

"Rin-kun, are you replacing me?" he says in a cutesy voice. _I hate him already._ Aoyagi-san freezes. They look like they're miles away from here. "That's not very nice."

They stand up straight and look blondie in the eye, the one not hidden by his hair."Leave me alone. I don't have to deal with you anymore."

"I thought you'd get over that once I sent Claire-chan your way." he coos. _Claire?_

" **You** did **that**!" Aoyagi-san lunges at him and starts swinging. It's wrong of you but you can't help but be thankful that it's not your drama to deal with. _Knock on wood._ After a few punches, you intervene by pulling Aoyagi-san off of the blonde teenager. _He looks familiar but I can't place where I've seen him before._

"I think you should leave." you say. _It doesn't matter._

"This doesn't-!"

"Involve me? Concern me? It's pretty damn concerning when it's my **friend** you're bothering." You level him with a look that promises pain and he scoffs.

"It'll be your fault when he dies, too."

"Big talk for a fellow with a small cock." you say fed up with the bullshit. _At least, I can make him suffer._

"Wha-? I'll show you small!" he sputters.

"You promise?" _I hate this. I hate this so much._

"You! You fucking deviant!"

"Only for you." you respond in a sickly sweet tone.

"(Y/n)!" is all the warning you get before someone presses their mouth against yours. You push them away long enough to recognize Azusa before he slots his mouth back over yours. He grabs the back of your head just tight enough to verge on painful. It draws a needy whine from you before you realize where you are.

"Fuck off!" you yell as you shove him. "You can't just...do that!"

"Let's be together again." Whispers of "he's gay?" might as well be yelled with how loud it rings in your ears.

"Fuck off. I said no! Or do I have to make you understand?!"

"Y-yes please." he stammers. _I forgot he gets off on that shit._ You grab Aoyagi-san and walk away. Azusa and the blond follow. A small crowd follows them. "Please! You know we need each other!"

"I don't need shit! Leave me fucking alone!" you snarl. _We bring out the worst in each other._ "You deaf?! I said-!"

"I just can't accept that. I was meant to be yours!"

"Quoting JD is not gonna change my mind. Fuck off, keep fucking off and then fuck off some more."

"What do I-?" You haul Aoyagi-san over your shoulder and start climbing up the side of the school. "What are you doing?!"

"Getting away from your pathetic ass." you say pulling yourself up onto the roof. You place Aoyagi-san down and look down on the _mortals_ students. "Sorry about that Aoyagi-san. I just had to get away."

They blink as if breaking out of a stupor. "Aah. It's fine. I needed to get away too."

"Why's blondie so interested in you?" you ask.

"He's a two-faced bitch. He was gonna kill me!" Aoyagi starts to shake. You put a reassuring hand on their shoulder. They take a breath before continuing. "He only let me live because he wanted me to suffer. He...he sent Claire to kill my family and make me into a monster. A monster like him!" Cold laughter echoes in your head. _Shut the fuck up! This isn't fucking funny!_ _It is. You don't understand why. That...mortal is not one of my monsters. That is a human given a fraction of my ability. Mortals love playing god._ _So Aoyagi-san's human._ _Completely human._

"You're not like him." you reply. _That's a safe, true answer._

You both sit on the edge.

Motivation Arc: Completed

Next Arc: Fall of the Vampire King


	22. A new

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why doesn't anyone tell me when I make spelling mistakes?! I was rereading the last chapter to makes sure this one didn't contradict it and found so many of them!😭

It's been a week since you started going to Seirei. Thankfully, you don't share a single class with Mukami or his annoying siblings. That doesn't stop Mukami from trying to meet up with you outside of class but it's easy to avoid him.

You realized why the blond looked so familiar halfway into the week. He's an idol. One so popular that you, who doesn't even listen to that genre, can recognize him. Aoyagi still hasn't told you why they're on the blonde's shitlist but they did tell you what their gender is after a few too many -kuns. They're nonbinary. Apparently, you've been referring to them with the right pronouns all along.

"Your assignment for this week is to complete an analysis of one of these short stories. The stories are: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. I expect no less than a page and a half."

"Those are English stories, Fujimoto-Sensei."

"You've already gone over Kirino-san's _Out_ , Murata-san's _The Clean Marriage_ , and all of the other Japanese stories. We've even went modern." She pauses for dramatic effect. "The time has come for me to test your English prowess. Since (L/n)-san is new, he can work with translated versions. You can work in groups of four at most." Everyone wants you to be in their group. You escape with three new phone numbers. You scroll through your messages. _Why's Reiji texting me? Should I even text back? Why am I thinking about this?! He's_ ** _that man's_** _son!...he did help me find Lilith._ _It seems you are-_ _No! I am not dealing with those feelings!_ _A child produced between the two of you would be-_ _Nonexistent because this isn't some omegaverse yaoi manga._ _I am capable of creating life without the messy flesh parts._ _Still not happening. I don't like him enough to see myself with him for the rest of my life._ _You could as the mortals say "smash and dash" That would-_ _We are not talking about this._ _Fine. There is a wealth of suitors-_ _Oh look, Aoyagi-san!_ _I will continue to counsel you later._

"Hey (Y/n)! Let's eat lunch together!" they say.

"Roof? It rained this morning."

"It should be dry by now. I packed ham..." They pull you into the bathroom. "Sorry! That vampire had a really bad aura." _A new vampire?_ _That's a first blood, not a vampire._ _Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!_ _What is troubling you?_ _I took venom from a first blood. I didn't think he'd fucking hunt me down! It was just a little venom._ _He intends on obtaining you as a mate_ ** _._** ** _Of fucking course he does._** _What is it about me that makes vampires down to fuck?_ _I have fufilled my helpful quota for the allotted amount of time._ _So you know?_ She doesn't respond.

"(Y/n)?" Aoyagi asks.

"Huh?" you respond.

"You okay? You zoned out for a while."

"I'm fine. Is he gone?"

"Yeah but-." They don't get to finish because you fling open the bathroom door and realize why they said but.

" **Move**."

"(Y/n)..." Mukami starts.

"How many times do I have to tell you that we're fucking over?"

"(Y/n)-chan is mine now." Your entire body stiffens as an arm wraps around your waist.

"No. I'm not."

"You really wanna say that here in front of **all these people**?" he bares his fangs at you. _He wouldn't...but I can't take that chance. I have to protect them._

"Let's find somewhere more private then." you reply.

"I know just the place." He looks entirely too smug about this. He lifts you by the waist and starts walking.

"I can walk on my own!" you snarl as you struggle to get down.

"But you're so cute when you think you can escape~" he replies. "You unable to defend yourself. The image makes me..." He shudders and you manage to get down.

"Are we gonna talk or are you gonna fantasize about what you and your left hand are gonna get up to later?" you ask trying not to show how nervous this situation makes you. _I can tell you what-_ _No! I don't want to be anywhere near-!_ You wake up in Aoyagi's arms.

"Wha-? What happened?" you ask. _Why does my head hurt?_ _If you didn't interrupt me, I would've warned you that he was about to attack you._

"That vampire knocked you out but Mukami, the one with Ao hair, he keeps following you, it's creepy, anyways, he distracted the **bad** vampire and I grabbed you and ran." they babble. _He's concealing the truth._ _We agree on that at least._

"How long has it been?" you ask.

"An hour. I was about to call your emergency contacts." they hand your phone back to you and help you stand.

"Is he still around?" You're saying it aloud but the query is directed at the voice in your head. _No_ _._

"No. He said he'd be back though."

"I'm gonna head home while I can." you step towards them and put a hand on their shoulder. "Thanks." _For saving me,_ you want to say but the words are stuck in your throat. You walk away and turn to give him an awkward wave before leaving.

Aoyagi Rin's POV

I wave back at (L/n)-san. I want to tell him the truth but I'm scared. I don't want him to treat me like the rest of the vampires. He's the only one who bothers with me nowadays. I don't want to lose him too. It's for the best that I don't tell him exactly how he was rescued.

_An hour and some minutes ago..._

_How could (L/n)-san just go with that vampire?!?_ The dark miasma is so thick, I could cut it with a knife. (L/n)-san's aura is the opposite it's small and bright but it doesn't hurt to look at. Then, his aura is diminished to a dull glow. There are very few things that can do that to an aura and none of them are good. I speed walk towards their location.

The vampire tosses (L/n)-san over his shoulder. "H-hey!" I shout but still manage to speak in lowercase. The vampire prepares to jump but I tackle him. I catch (L/n) in midair and manage to land without breaking my ankles. I turn to run but suddenly (L/n) isn't in my arms. I turn back and see him held by the vampire again.

"Why do you insist on interfering? You could never hope to beat me." He looks at me like I'm the scum on the bottom of his shoe. I try to reach (L/n) but my fingers barely graze him before all I feel is pain. My back slams against the wall and _I can't inhale or exhale._ There's a pressure on your lungs.

"You...can't! I won't let you!" I yell and run at him again.

"Who says I need permission?"

"You-! You're a shitty person who doesn't deserve shit!" He grabs my face and applies pressure. I scramble to make him let go but nothing I do loosens his grip. _It hurts._ I start trying to bite his hand but he still doesn't let go.

"I really didn't want to give (Y/n) another reason to hate me...but some people just won't quit." Warm blood fills my mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> List of people who could potentially beat Karlheinz-  
> Komori Yui  
> Derrick the Mage  
> Aoyagi Rin  
> (L/n) Chisuke


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter brought to you by Hayami "(Y/n) was my bi awakening"

You rush home and try not to panic. You were almost taken by **him**. _Why didn't I expect him to pull something like that?! His entitled ass would definitely do something like that. Never mind that a human couldn't survive the underworld! What if I didn't let Aoyagi-san go? Then I would've..._ _Do not trouble yourself with what ifs. You are safe._ _For now. But he'll be back. And. I'm. Not. Strong enough! He'll take me and...!_

You remember the venom. You pull it out and open the container. _Wait!_ You tilt it back and swallow. It doesn't burn going down your throat like you expect. It tastes faintly of vanilla. Then, every nerve in your body is lit on fire. You can't even open your mouth to scream. You manage to climb onto your bed and try to focus on something that's not the overwhelming pain you feel. _You-._

"You idiot!" she says. It sounds louder than usual but the pain takes your focus. Something touches your face and all of a sudden the pain goes away. "Impressive. The amount of pain you can take without making a sound." You blink and look up. A woman with lilac eyes and dark blue hair looks down at you. Her fangs are barely hidden behind her red lips. _Lilith._ "You're dying. I hope you're aware of that." _I'm...dying?_ "Yes, do keep up. I propose I give you a fraction of my power to lengthen your life and you kill my proxy. I would do it myself but I am prevented from killing someone in my employ."

"I don't even know what your proxy looks life."

"Do you just not value your life? You will be dead by the end of the week without my power."

"You're not just offering no strings attached power."

"I'm being generous despite every other time it has "bit me in the ass" I want you to live but I can't just give you power. There's a precedent."

"Okay." _Will this make me strong enough to kill Tsukinami?_

"Yes. It will." You aren't aware of accepting her terms but you know you did. You're falling.

 _You're_ _surrounded by flora. You look down but there something on your chest blocking your view of the ground. A man calls your name. You can't discern any identifying features. He looks happy to see you. You don't feel the same._  
 _+_  
 _I want to make the decisions for once, you remember saying. Let me name this tree, that flower, any creature._

_I didn't know you felt this way, he replied. Of course you can! There's a brief moment when his face contorts._ **_He_ ** _is speaking to him. He amends his statement._ **_He_ ** _said I have to be the one to make decisions. That is when you start questioning. When you start doubting._   
_+_   
_Do you know what sin you have committed?_ **_He_ ** _asks on his shiny yellow throne._

_If thinking for myself is a sin I would sin a million times more, you reply._

_I cannot allow a sinner to corrupt another._

_Lord-! He tries to intervene. You smile sadly at him._

_I will not allow you to condemn me, you say and start walking._   
_+_   
_No! Please! I didn't mean to! The wails catch your attention. A man is hunched over a corpse._

_He's dead, you state._

_I didn't mean to kill him! He just made me so angry! He was everyone's favorite and he was boastful and then he was dead!_ **_He_ ** _just cast aside my offerings like trash! Don't I have a right to be angry?!_

_You do. His death was engineered by_ **_him_ ** _._   
_+_   
_He was fun until he wrinkled up and died. So did everyone else. You are still here. You don't know why._   
_+_   
_A man named Andronicus asks to serve you. He calls you Hera and then Aphrodite. You don't bother correcting him. You agree on the terms that he must kill_ **_him_ ** _._

_He succeeds._   
_+_   
_I would prefer you call me Giesbach, Adronicus says one day. He says that as if it matters to you._   
_+_   
_So many pretty people!_   
_+_   
_You can't feel anything._

You gasp from the sudden onset of memories. There's a knock on your door. "Hide!"

"Not even a thank you?"

"I'll thank you when you **hide**!" She snaps her fingers and looks confused when nothing happens. She snaps again disappears in a flicker of pale purple fire. You turn and open the door. "Hey dad. I have something to tell-." A crash interrupts your sentence. You're scared to look but do it anyway. Lilith is sprawled over the floor.

"Who's that?!" he says as he pushes you behind him. "What the fuck are you doing in my son's bedroom?!"

"This is what I was gonna explain. I wanted her to hide so I could ease you into it but _someone_ apparently can't do that simple thing." you reply.

"Fault does not lie with me." she hisses.

"The fuck you mean?! You can disappear with the snap of your fingers!"

"What's she saying?" your dad asks. _Of_ ** _fucking_** _course, only I can understand her._

"She said-." You don't get to finish because she strolls up to your dad and kisses him. _On his mouth._ You're horrified.

"'Sup, I'm Lilith. I'm glad your son summoned me because it meant meeting you." She _motherfucking_ winks at him. _What is my life?_ This is what a world without God looks like.

"You can't just kiss someone!" your dad shouts.

"Sorry. I didn't feel like waiting for you to catch on. But I don't regret it. You, me, a bottle of wine and some bad decisions. Sounds great, right? _Let's do it._ " Lilith pushes.

"Stop flirting with my dad!" Lilith responds by aggressively finger gunning your dad and walking backwards out of the room. "I'm sorry about that. She wasn't like that before." _When she was a voice in my head._ "Can we get everyone together? I...we need to talk." Your dad gives you the "damn right we do" look and walks away.

You all sit in the living room in silence. You sigh. "I have something to tell you. I've been putting it off but I can't anymore. I stole venom from a first blood. A first blood that is..." You can't say it. _Saying it would be...I can't._

"We met when I was dating A- Mukami. He knew I was a hunter right away. He probably wondered why a hunter would date a vampire. He told me to drop Mukami but I refused. He seemed so harmless. That's why when I needed first blood venom, I called him."

"Why'd you need first blood venom?"

"I'm Lilith. I'm sure you've heard of my exploits." she says while giving a half-wave.

" ** _She's_** the reason you needed it?!" your dad shouts. Kiyome just blinks as if she can't comprehend.

"I was indisposed. I needed a little boost to come here." She looks your dad right in the eye. "You wanna-?"

"I swear to fucking God, if you don't stop harassing my dad I-!"

"Let's get back on topic. What happened after you called him?" Kiyome interjects.

"We met up. I knocked him out and took the venom. I don't know how he found me at Seirei." Then, it hits you. "I-I scraped my hand on one of his fangs. He must've tracked me by using that!"

"He can't get in here. I've fortified my defenses since (Y/n)'s last breakout." Kiyome says.

Your dad stands up and puts his hands on your shoulders and says "Well...son...you're grounded."

"What?!"

"You've risked your life unnecessarily which resulted in a first blood hunting you and you didn't even plan on telling us until you couldn't hide it anymore! Me and Kiyome, we're the adults here. You don't have to take anything on on your own. But instead of asking us for help, you went and did it yourself!"

"I thought I was getting better at relying on others but if you're gonna fucking treat me like I'm still the same self-destructive fifteen-year-old I was two years ago, What's the fucking point?!"

"Acknowledging a problem is not the same as fixing it! You summoned a demon! Are you gonna tell me that isn't self-destructive?!"

"I did it for you! For us! I don't want for you to live in fear of the that shitbag!" _Why doesn't he get it?!_

"I..."

"Forget it. I'll be in my room." you state and storm up the stairs. You can't help slamming your door. A growl rumbles in your chest and you punch the bed frame. It breaks but that's a problem for non-pissed future you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lilith tried to be smooth but ended up sounding like a fuckboi. Smh.
> 
> Giesbach is a canon character and not an oc I made to fill a role. So is Tsukinami who shares a first name with Reader's best friend. So is Mukami. There are more that I don't remember rn.


	24. Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably should've said this before, but I do not condone the unhealthy/dangerous behaviors displayed in this work. If anything in this holds a resemblance with your life, find someone you can trust and talk about it. Stay safe guys, gals, non-binary pals, and everyone in between.
> 
> Me: I'm so fucking tired of vampires.  
> Also me: Time to work on-! *pauses* Shit.

Future you feels pretty stupid at the moment. _I never curse at Dad._ _Birthgiver, yeah, she's a bitch but not Dad._ A thought hits you. _What if he hates me? No, Dad could never...he also never called out my...tendencies before._ You know you're not the most...mentally sound individual. You know Mukami just made it worse. But you've been dealing with it. _Haven't I?_

The more you look over your actions, the more you realize you haven't. You've been so focused on appearing okay that you haven't actually been okay. You put yourself in a high stress situation because that's what you were used to. You lied and told yourself it was for Shin. To keep Shin safe but it was really for you. To stay in what was familiar after your breakup. Then, you went to his house. _God! How could I be so blind?!?_

You started crushing on vampires because some part of you broke in your previous relationship. That part of you wants to be treated like shit because then, at least you won't be guilty. _I felt like shit for leaving Mukami and I felt obligated to give him a second chance. If Shin wasn't there I..._

A knock breaks you out of your thoughts. "Who is it?" you ask.

"It's me." Kiyome replies. "You know your dad didn't-."

"He made his point. He was right."

"He should've been gentler with his delivery. You don't just say things like that." You hear her slide down the door.

"I needed-." you start.

"Stop blaming yourself! You weren't like this when you were younger."

"I grew up." You walk towards the door and sit.

"No. Your first relationship was a bad one and without an example of what a good one was you didn't know. I... I don't blame you. I was the same way."

"You...?"

"I built walls. I lashed out. I thought everything was my fault. I felt crippling guilt after leaving him. The only reason I knew I was doing the right thing was because I'm an empath and I could feel his smugness every time he thought I was suffering. You didn't have that." she says.

"I-I thought that was just the way he was. That I could get used to it. He made me think it was selfish if I didn't do what he wanted. It started so nice. He was so sweet. I thought there was something wrong with me. That I was just trying to find problems." you reply and wipe your palms on your pants. They're sweaty.

"That's what he told you? He told me no one would love me like he did. I believed him."

"He said if I wanted to leave the door was right there. If I tried he'd kiss me and ask me if I really hated him that much. He made me feel like I couldn't say no." You feel like you shouldn't be saying this. Like it's some dirty secret.

"He never hit me but I always feared he would. Then, I wouldn't be able to lie to myself anymore."

"I tried to make my personality as ugly as possible..."

"...because I was afraid of getting in another relationship like that..."

"... I don't think I'd be able to leave again but..."

"...there were still people willing to be my friend..."

"...(she/he) wouldn't let me push (her/him) away." you say in unison.

"I'm gonna open your door and hug you now." Kiyome says. The door swings open and you bury your head in her shoulder. You struggle to hold back tears. "You're allowed to cry. He's not here." _To see you_ goes unsaid. The dam breaks and you let out silent sobs. "If you ever want to talk about this I'm here. In my experience, it's better when you talk to someone who understands."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, _chibi-chan_." she says as she ruffles your hair.

"I'm taller than you."

"Keep dreaming." she replies with her back turned to you.

"One of us is." you retort.

"Glad you're acknowledging it."

"I was referring to you."

"I'm sure you were." she says at the bottom of the stairs.

"I was!" you shout down the stairs.

You walk back to your room with a lighter spirit. Your favorite author finally updated and posted a new book that you can't wait to read.(wink wink nudge nudge) A notification drops down as you read. It's a text from Reiji. You ignore it. Whatever bullshit he wants to involve you in can wait until tomorrow. You're in a good mood. Bad vibes can fuck off.

You train as much as you can in your room and still have energy afterwards. _I always knew there were people like me...but knowing and actually talking to someone are two different things._ You know you still aren't ready to face him alone but at least you won't feel like crap when your eyes meet.

You hear mumbling in the hall. You lean against your door and listen. "(Y/n)... I was too harsh with you. It wasn't your fault. You didn't deserve that. I meant to say it's too dangerous and you have to stay for your own safety." your dad says.

"I know." He didn't know you were listening.

"That doesn't excuse-."

"Yeah, it doesn't. That hurt. But I understand. You were hurt too. Hurt people hurt people."

"I..."

"Let's just hug." You hug. Tomorrow you'll deal with the bad vibes. Today, you hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/n) would definitely play Sociopath by Stélouse? next time he meets Azusa.
> 
> Supposed to be writing an essay but who cares?


	25. Just what

You blink the sleep out of your eyes. It's been two weeks since you went to school. Seirei was perfectly happy with you going cyber. Unlike Ryoutei, which didn't have any digital programs for some reason. Being at home has some downsides though. Some of the English pieces are hard to understand. _The fuck is a syntax?_ The teacher tries her best to help you but you eventually settle for using google translate. It's what you did when you had your first assessment of Latin with Hunter Society and you're fine.

Your phone buzzes on top of your desk. The faint vibrations carry through the wood. You've been ignoring Reiji's texts. He's the type to text paragraphs with perfect grammar and double spaced. _Pretentious piece of shit._ You text him that if has something to say he should tell you in person. Then, you don't show up. It's an asshole move but you feel like being an asshole.

It won't **stop**. You pick it up. It's not Reiji. It's your mom. _Why would she be calling?_ Against your better judgment, you pick up. "(Y/n)! Thank God you picked up! Can you send your witch friend my direction? I-."

"No."

"What do you mean no?"

"You can't just demand things of me like you were actually around." you clench your teeth and force yourself to calm your tone.

"Is that what this is about?" she sighs. There's a long pause. "I...(Y/n)...I know I'm a terrible mother. I knew from the second I gave birth that I wouldn't be able to give you anything else. Relationships are hard for me... but that doesn't excuse what I did. I knew my actions were wrong but it didn't stop me from making them. I should've done better by the both of you...but I can't. The only thing I can do is let you both go and hope someone can take better care of you than I did."

"You being sorry doesn't make it okay."

"I know. I figured you needed space. I'm the type of person whose easier to love at a distance." You don't know what to do with this information. It was easier to believe she didn't know what she was doing.

"That's not what you're doing. You're running away."

"Do you want me to come back?"

"No. Have fun wherever you are." You want to hurt her like she hurt you. _She can't just...do this._ She's owning up to her mistakes and that makes it harder for you to hate her. You _want_ to hate her.

"I'm in Kansas. Lebanon, Kansas to be exact."

"That sounds like the middle of nowhere. Why Kansas?"

"Unattached hunters." _Unattached hunters are a danger to themselves and everyone around them._ "There's something following them. I can't tell what it is from here."

"Why are _you_ there?"

"I...requested an assignment in America."

"Oh...okay."

"Shit! They're on the move! I'll talk to you later!" She hangs up before you can get another word in. You have to remind yourself that you're not obligated to forgive her just because she's sorry. _At least she's trying._ The phone call reminds you of one just like it. She was asking for Derrick's contact information then. She wasn't rude but she wasn't trying to be nice either. _It was just business._

After half an hour, it hits you. _She already had Derrick's contact information._ The entire call was an excuse to talk to you. _Of course she would do something like this. Being a functioning human being is beyond her._ (A/n: Ha, foreshadowing.)

Your phone buzzes again. Apparently, you have 100+ unread texts. _Damn he's clingy._ You kissed him once and he's already like this. He doesn't need anymore encouragement. _I'd like to get know how the fuck he manages to double space a text message though._ You'recurious though. You have your read receipts off anyway. You're about to open it when someone calls you. "Dinner's ready!" your dad shouts.

You walk down the stairs and sit down. You mechanically bring the chopsticks to your mouth. "What's wrong?" your dad asks.

You hear words but don't register what is said. "Huh?"

"You look out of it. Did something happen?" Kiyome asks.

"I-. Mom called. She apologized?" you answer.

"She apologized?" your dad repeats.

"You don't have to forgive her." Kiyome assures you. "Her owning up to shitty behavior doesn't mean you have to give her another chance."

"... I know. I think I might want to after "whatever this is" blows over."

"That's fine." She places a hand on your shoulder.

" _You know what else is fine?_ " a familiar voice chimes in.

"Goddamnit Lilith!" you shout. "Fucking read the room!"

"I didn't peg-."

"Please. Stop talking." your dad interrupts.

"I'll recite French-."

"I'm going to my room and I'm bringing Chisuke with me." you cut in as you dash up the stairs.

The messages are still there when you come back. You kind of hoped they would go away. You open the messages. _Wow. I didn't think he'd use that type of language._ You send him a 👍 in response to the many paragraphs he's sent you. There's no way you're actually reading all that shit. You see the bubble that shows he's texting something and leave the messages to play subway surfers. _Is it rude? Yes. Do I care? Hell no. Hotel? Trivago._

"Who's Shitstain?" Chisuke asks looking over your shoulder.

"Someone from school." you respond. _We should really put Chisuke in some type of school...That's a problem for the adults to deal with._

When a text stops you from beating your high score, you finally call him. "What?! I was about to get past 275K."

"You've been ignoring my calls."

"And?" You refuse to feel guilty for treating him the same way he used to treat you.

"You-! I have been attempting to inform you."

"Inform me of what?"

"First, promise to meet me in person."

"Sorry, promised my dad, who loves me, I wouldn't willingly put myself in danger again."

"You-. As much as I loathe to admit it, you have the ability to kill me without significantly exerting yourself. What danger would you be in?!"

"Your father. He isn't the vampire king because he's good at knitting."

"I would not collude with-."

"He could be manipulating you into doing what he wants. I have people I care about. They care about me. I won't let them grieve me."

You hear him mumble something in the phone but can't quite understand what he's saying. "Did you find Li- her?"

"How are you doing?" you ask instead of answering.

"I would be better if I could see you again."

"I would be better if I had a less traumatic childhood. Weird how that didn't happen."

"Have you read Romeo and Juliet?"

"We are **not** star crossed lovers. Even if you weren't a vampire, I wouldn't date you. You remind me of my ex."

"I-."

"He's an ex for a reason. If you're not gonna help me, please leave me alone." your voice weakens at the end. You're tired of his bullshit. Most of it isn't his fault but you're past the point of caring.

"If I am presented with the chance I would-!"

"What? Be different? Don't try that shit with me!" You take a deep breath. _I'm gonna tell him._ "I'm not ready for a relationship and a small crush isn't gonna change that. Don't waste your time." You hang up before he can reply. _It's out there now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're probably wondering why MC is taking so long to get with someone. I have three reasons.
> 
> One: buildup. I hate it when people who don't even know each other are in love by the second chapter. (Limerence is real and fucking annoying.)
> 
> Two: I'm trying to write out the love interests toxic characteristics without changing their character too much.
> 
> Three: I have no idea who MC is going to end up with. I didn't when I started and, 28 parts later, I still don't. I'm leaning towards Subaru. He seems like the least problematic but it's not definite.


	26. I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late. I had surprise assignments. My friend also told me I was the real life version of Todoroki while I was slurping cold soba and I can't stop thinking about it.

You are shaken awake. You can see the worry in your dad's eyes. "Komori-san has been cleared for her first mission. It's a trio mission."

"Good for her?" you reply. _There's more to this._

"You were selected to watch over the others on the mission. You'll be the only one with any experience." he adds. _That's...not safe. What're they thinking?_

"Two high priority targets on the same mission?...We're bait, aren't we?" you ask. "I'll call for backup as soon as something seems off." _I'm indifferent when it's just me but I will not have the girl I rescued thrown back into the same shitty situation. Yui's seen enough shit._

"I know I can't convince you not to go. It'd be hypocritical of me. Just...be careful." You give your dad a hug and run to your room. _Feelings? I'll deal with those later._ You check over your weapons and supplies and take a breath. _This'll be fine. I'm an experienced hunter. I've dealt with worse odds and come back in one piece._ You pull on your gloves and head to the door. Chisuke grabs your leg.

"Don't go! I-I can smell something wrong. Bad things'll happen!" The back of your pant leg is damp. You kneel in front of him.

"Bad things will happen if I don't go. But I promise I'll come back to you." You stand up and look around the room. "All of you." Your dad and Kiyome pile onto you for a group hug.

"You better bring Shin-kun!"

"Ooh! On first name basis already?" Kiyome coos.

"Shin-kun is really nice! And really pretty!" _Not so sure about the second part. I love Shin but he looks like gutter trash._

"Right. I'll see you later."

"Stay safe!" You give a thumbs up instead of answering. _I don't wanna tempt fate._ You get on your motorcycle and ride towards the meeting point. As the scenery blurs, you think about what type of mission you'll be watching over. _It has to be an easy one or else Yui and I couldn't be bait. What could we be bait for? If it was just me it'd be like Mikami's situation but with Yui the only person who'd be after her is...shit. We'll just get out of there before anything can happen._

"(L/n)-san! I didn't know you were our supervisor for the mission! I mean...you are technically our senpai." Yui exclaims. "Oh! And this is Josder Seiko!"

"S-senpai!" is all Josdar-san can stutter out before her face turns a bright red.

"I'll be supervising your mission and will only help if you're in mortal danger." You pause. "Are you ready?"

"Y-yes!"  
"Yup!"

"Good. Walk me through your train of thought." you reply. _This isn't just me being bait. I'm teaching newbies too. Let's see what they came up with._ Josder-san pulls out a map and starts talking.

"I figured since activity was highest in these areas, there should be a nest in S-North Ikari forest." Josder-san says. _She's second guessing herself when she has the right answer._

"Komori? What do you think?" you ask.

"Seiko-chan is the one with the brains. I trust her judgment." she chirps but her eyes dart to a different section of the map.

"First lesson for Josder-san, follow your instincts. What Hunter Society teaches isn't always correct but your instincts are.

Komori, if you feel like something's off don't be afraid to voice it. Even if you feel you aren't qualified to say anything, speak up anyway. No one person is the "brains".

So I'll ask again, walk me through your train of thought." you say.

"I feel like the nest is in the southwest of the forest. I dunno why though-." Komori starts.

"It's the pattern of movement. It's a carbon copy of the usual pattern going northward except for a few outliers headed southwest. Those outliers are all earlier occasions meaning it's before a pattern was set up. Therefore, they only want us to think the nest is in the north." Josdar-san interrupts.

"Let's see if you're correct." you say and follow behind your kouhais.

You have to pull Josdar-san back to prevent her from tripping over oxygen but they have the makings of professional hunters. "Wait!" Komori whispers. "I hear them 100 meters east." She pulls out her scythe and Josdar-san pulls out a gun. "Aren't you-?"

"I'm just watching. If anything goes wrong I'll be right here." you reply. They nod nervously and hide along the tree trunks. You hear a hiss and a vampire lunges towards you. You lean slightly to the side and allow him to crash onto the grass behind you. He gets up and lunges at you again.

"Which one of you has the ringed eyes?" he snarls. You kick him into a tree and say, "You got this." Josder-san and Komori take the initiative to cut the rest of the vampires down.

You duck under one of Komori's swings and take a mental note of her lack of control. _She's very enthusiastic though._ Josder-san is remarkably calm. Her hand is steady and she's only off by a few centimeters. _It's like she's a completely different person._

Suddenly, you feel a menacing aura. The air is charged and the atmosphere heavy. "Komori! Josder!" you shout. "Something's wrong! We're leaving!"

"Your senses are as sharp as your mother's." **_No._** _I knew he'd be here but-._ ** _Don't panic._** _I have to focus on getting us out of here._

"Karlheinz. You mind if I call you Carl? That name's a mouthful." you say feigning nonchalance. You signal Josder-san and Komori to start retreating.

"I can smell your fear. The rush of blood in your veins is delicious. If I were a lesser man, I'd have devoured you in this instance. Aren't you glad I'm not." he drawls. "I prefer to _savor_ the rare specimens."

"Leave the others out of this. This between me and you." You grit your teeth and try to calm yourself.

"Between me and you? I think your father might disagree. How's the baby doing?" You can't hold your anger back any longer. Your vision goes red and you jump at him. No cognizant thought forms, but white hot anger obstructs your vision. "I thought you'd be more of a challenge." Then, you're made aware of the pain in your chest. You look down and see his arm sticking through it. He withdraws it and licks the blood on his palm. "What a waste of good blood." He turns away from your falling body and turns to Komori.

 ** _NO!_** Your world is bathed in lilac flames and you barely feel the pain in your chest. You extend your hand and snap on instinct. A circle of flames surrounds the both of you. " ** _We won't allow you to hurt them. Your fight is with us!_** " the words come out of your mouth but it doesn't feel like you're saying them.

"What new power up did you unlock? You hunters tend to do that a lot."

" ** _Come and find out._** " Your body shifts into a fighting stance and this time he jumps at you. You clothesline him and tear off an arm. You toss it into the first and he headbutts you so hard that you taste blood. He flicks his hand sending you flying backwards and his arm regenerates an eighth of the length of the arm you took. The world stutters and he has his arm back. The fire disappears like it never existed and he taps Komori on the head.

"Cordelia, it's time to wake up." Komori snarls and her open mouth reveals fangs. _An attempted pure blood resurrection..._ You toss a soft purple spark into her open mouth and she falls unconscious. You grab her falling body and Josder-san and run. The scenery blurs underneath you and don't leave any trace of being there.

" ** _This should be far enough. Josder-san, bring Komori to the address I give you and don't tell VHS. Stay the with Kiyome until I tell you otherwise. I'll lead him away._** " You relay the address to her. " ** _When you see purple flames, run._** "

"But I-!"

" ** _I'm the one with the best chance of holding him off. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain._** "

"O-okay! I'll do it senpai!"

" ** _Tell my father, I'll be back soon._** " With those words you turn and prepare yourself for a losing battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More about me being Todoroki. She really told me I bet you overshare your daddy issues and 😭 I called Todoroki bland. I said being burned by a kettle was no excuse for being unseasoned.


	27. Needed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glossing over the fight scene. You lost.

Your entire body aches. You groan and turn over...You try to turn over at least. Something's stopping you. You open your eyes. The room is dark with soft white lights that barely illuminate the room. _What happened?_ You tug your arms again and hear the clank of chains pulled taught. "Are you having fun over there?"

"Go fuck yourself."

"Now, now, that's no way to talk to-"

"Next you'll say: the man who spared your pitiful life."

"-the man who spared your pitiful life. Wha?!" _I can't believe that worked! Okay. Act confident and_ ** _don't_** _think about what could happen to you._

"I'm already in your head." you say.

"I'll ignore that because you're the perfect specimen! If only you were a woman, I could usher forth a new race! One immune to diseases like Endzeit and won't suffer any adverse effects to sunlight. Any other abilities you're hiding?" He approaches you with a tray of surgical tools and pulls up the sleeve. _When did he have the time to put me in hospital pajamas?_

"Deez nuts." He cuts your arm and lets the blood flow into a strange looking machine.

"With this level of venom in your blood, you should be dead."

"If only I could be so lucky."

"Maybe I should throw you to my sons like this. You deprived them of their last toy." _He seriously thinks I can't take them in a fight?_

"Then, you'd have no sons."

"I'd have one. He's with your father right now, isn't he?"

"You fucking bitch! Stay the fuck away from my father!"

"And what are you going to do to stop me? If I requested it, your organization would hand him over to me. That's how I got you." _He's lying. He has to be._ "What? You pathetic insects will do anything to stay alive. Is it really surprising that they would sell you out?" _Stay calm. Stay calm._ "I think I'll bring him and the baby here. It'll be a grand family reunion!"

" **I'm gonna kill you.** " you say with every ounce of hatred evident in your voice.

"I'd love to hear how you plan on killing me when you could barely wound me before." He bandages the cut he made and seals your blood in a container. It glows when he closes it. "I hope you'll come to enjoy your indefinite stay here. Eventually, the chains will be able to come off."

_"Why do you keep making me do these things? Can't you just believe me when I say I love you?"_   
_"I don't believe you just yet. Eventually, you can stop."_

He leaves while you're caught up in the memories. _Dammit! Why am I thinking about_ ** _him_** _now?!_

You start working on getting the chains off. _There isn't a keyhole so I have to break it._ You pull out a file and grind away at the shackles. _The chain's thinner than the part around my wrists...guess I'm getting new bracelets._

When you're about to finish breaking the second one, the door swings open. It's Reiji. "(Y/n). What are you doing here?" he asks in weird mix of happy and worried.

"I'm on vacation." you reply dryly. _Isn't he supposed to be mildly intelligent?_ Instead of glaring or yelling at you he turns away and _Fuck, why does he look so pretty when he blushes?!_ The chain you were working on audibly snaps.

"Aren't you supposed to be in hiding with your family?"

" _Your father_ brought me here. He wants to make a new race. Can only imagine what he'll do once he does."

"Don't call **that man** that."

"Ohh Kay." _There's a lot to unpack._ "Anyways, I'm leaving."

"You can't!" he protests but you brush past him.

"Is this about what you said before because-?"

"No, I mean, we're in the Underworld. The only ways out are closely monitored by **that man**." His face loses the usual condescending resting bitch face and turns uncharacteristically tender. "I'm willing to wait however long you need to get an answer. Even if you never give me one, I will still love you." You're glad you're in front of him. Otherwise, he'd so how his words affected you. Your skin grows warm.

"What turned you into a cheesy bastard?"

"You did." _Not dealing with this now. Hopefully I won't ever have to._

"...Since, the exits are monitored, how do you propose I get out?"

"You should stay here, in my room."

You take a second to process that and respond with "You _do_ realize how that sounds, right?"

"I would not-! I meant this would be the last place **he** would look. **He** doesn't bother with us unless **he's** plotting something."

"...Fine. Let's hurry it up. I didn't escape just to get caught again." You extend a hand to him and he takes it. _It's warm?_ _Vampires are supposed to be cold._

A blink and the both of you are in a different place. _How can a room look ornate and austere at the same time? Whatever. It's obvious this is Reiji's room._ "How long do you think he'll spend looking for me?"

"A month and when he doesn't find anything he'll search for another month in secret. He can't afford any more than that with the _situation_."

"What _situation_?"

"Oi, Tableware Otaku!" The voice is muted due to distance but you'd recognize that asshole anywhere.

" _Hide_!" Reiji hisses in a lowered tone as you roll under his bed.

"Don't ignore me! This is important!" Your body hits up against several hard edges. You slam your hand over your mouth to prevent the pained grunts. _Fuck! I don't remember getting hit there. Or there._

You hear the door open. "What could possibly be so-?"

"It's about (Y/n)-kun. When **that man** visited I could smell his blood on **him**." _Why does he-?_

"This concerns you because...?"

"I can't make him mine if he's dead!" _Figures._

"If I am remembering correctly (Y/n) said he would never love you."

"He doesn't need to love me to bottom for me." _This bitch!_

"He has to _like_ you. I, at the very least, have not ensured his hatred."

"So he won't blame you for what happened to his father?"

"I had nothing to do with-!"

"I know that, but will he?" Something wet is running down your arm. "What's that smell?" _Fuck._

"This isn't your room. **Leave.** " Bright light is suddenly cast on your hiding place. You pretend to be unconscious. A cold hand grabs your arm and pulls you out. The next thing you know, you're being held against a cold chest.

"So you stole him from **that man** and hid him in your room? All that for a vampire hunter?"

" **Put him down.** "

"I don't think I will. He smells _divine_. I could fall in love with a scent like his." _Fucking kill me now._

" **Ayato...** "

"Megane-kun isn't resisting. He wants this just as much as I do~" _I feel sorry for the idiot who gets tricked into a relationship with this walking dick._

"He is unconscious! He cannot want anything!"

"In that case, I'll just take a bite." You grab him by the throat.

"You're a disgusting creature. I hope you know that." you tell him with a fake smile.

"Why does _he_ get your blood?! He doesn't deserve it!" _Who said anything about blood?_

"And you do?" Reiji replies.

"Of course! Ore-sama deserves the best after all." _So why do you want me?_

"Get fucked by a cactus." you respond tightening your grip on his neck. He lets you go and brings his arms up to his throat. "I could end your pathetic life here and now." You let him struggle a little more before continuing, "Luckily for you, you could be useful. Be grateful." Unlike with Reiji and Subaru, it's easy to summon the usual contempt you hold for vampires.

You let go. Ayato falls to his knees and gasps. He coughs wetly a few times before standing up. "I was never the one in danger when I visited your house. Remember that before you talk about me like an object." He stumbles out of the room and Reiji closes the door behind him.

"Why?" he asks after a long stretch of silence.

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you kill us?"

"I was under orders not to provoke the vampire king. _That went well_."

"I thought-."

"What you thought I spared you because I loved you? You were an asshole and I'm only half convinced that you're not still one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update as promised. It was only a little late.🥲Feel free to ask me anything. And I mean anything.
> 
> P.S. I was watching every witch way (Who gives a fuck about intended audience? Not me!) and realized almost every person/relationship was toxic. Maddie/Diego for the win! When your bully has a healthier relationship than you🥲


	28. Character Design

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just to show some of the concept art I've made for this.

Aoyagi Rin the newcomer

Trying their best🥺

Derrick the Mage

Dat hat tho

Hayami Shin-You would die for him

Puberty hit him like a train and kept going

It's ya boi Dankworth Akio (I can't draw curls for shit.)


End file.
